You can read our Quad Lock Deluxe Mounting Kit for iPhone 4/4s review here. We liked a number of things about the original Quad Lock:
• It was a clever system that mounted well
• The solid case could remain on the iPhone to protect it when not mounted
• It was Australian designed and funded via kickstarter

What I found missing from the original Quad Lock was a way to protect your phone from the elements. I’m the type of cyclist who uses a waterproof protective pouch for my smart phone when riding, even on bone-dry days, so this was a big no-no for me. Not long after publishing, however, a waterproof poncho was created which solved this concern.

Fast Forward – Quad Lock meets the iPhone5
Fast forward and the iPhone5 is everywhere – Australians love their Apple devices. It meant the Quad Lock needed an update and the Aussie designers went one step further than just resizing. The excellent mounting mechanism remains the same, as you would expect, but the case has been updated.

While the new case doesn’t appear to be different, rather than being a single piece of solid polycarbonate, the new case features a solid polycarbonate backing but the sides are soft. I ask the Quad Lock’s designer (and company director) Chris Peters about this.

“The iPhone 5 Quad Lock case has been re-designed from the ground up. We wanted to offer better protection, all while maintaining the strength, thin profile and pocketability that our customers love from out iPhone 4/4S case. To do so we decided to go with a composite, overmolded case design. Overmolding is a manufacturing process which allows a part to be created from two different materials. It’s a more expensive process as it requires double the amount of tooling and production processes, but you end up with a premium product that you can fine tune the desired mechanical properties of to suit the application.

Going with overmolding allowed us to have a very strong core made from engineering grade polycarbonate with a durable impact protective TPU outer skin. Unlike silicon, TPU does not attract dust or become sticky, so it maintains its smooth clean finish and is easy to slide in and out of your pocket. The TPU also makes it much easier to install and remove the phone from the case while still gripping the phone securely.”

The iPhone 4/4S Quad Lock case was certainly harder to get the phone in and out; the new case in comparison makes this a breeze and suits me as I generally prefer no case for general use. Even with the case on, the buttons are easy to access and the microphone and speaker is free as well as the front and rear camera.

 
Does your iPhone like water?
The good news with the Bike Mount Kit for the iPhone5 Quad Lock is that it comes with the poncho; the “weather resistant cover”. You still get a good view of the smart phone screen with it on, and can use the touch screen.

Taking a critical look at the poncho, while it fitted well and covered the top and sides, there are two parts that can potentially let water through – the Quad Lock case has a hole for the rear camera and inside the twist and mount mechanism there are some holes which could eventually let water through.

Chris Peters comments “It is designed to protect your iPhone from rain, dust, dirt, mud and sweat, however it its not fully water proof so is not suitable for fully submerging the phone in water.”

That said, in wet weather riding on a road bike or mountain bike with spray from the tires, is there a danger of water getting in?

“When using the Quad Lock in the most common installations”, says Chris, “the phone’s protected from tyre spray by the stem, and when mounted on the handle bars it’s far enough away from the line of the spray for it not to be a concern. We’ve tested it riding in heavy rain, through river crossings and through muddy MTB trails and it has protected the iPhone in all situations.”

Commonsense should prevail to keep your iPhone safe; the case and poncho isn’t designed for underwater cycling trips, though will protect your phone if you get stuck in the rain. In the case of a tropical thunder storm, if you insist on venturing out on the bike, I suggest using a completely waterproof pouch for the phone until the sun comes out.

And now for some fiddly bits
While the Quad Lock mount and case are well designed and well made, you may run into a few fiddly issues. On my road bike, the stem was the best place to mount the Quad Lock, though on my oversized stem the two supplied o-rings wouldn’t fit. The kit does come with cable-ties, which work well but take away the flexibility of easily removing the mount, for example if you ride more than one bike. On a standard sized stem however this shouldn’t be an issue.

Another issue relating to the “fit” of the Quad Lock on my road bike was that I have an uncut steerer, not so long that it looks “wrong”, but enough that the Quad Lock case touches the steerer when mounted. In my case this is not a problem, since the stem is long enough, but it’s worth considering if you don’t want to take a hacksaw to your overlong steerer.

On the plus side, one of the benefits the mount provides is the ability to mount on your handlebars or stem, and you can mount your iPhone vertically or horizontally to better suit your personal preferences.

It is worth noting that I don’t own an iPhone 5 and I was sent a “dummy” iPhone 5 for testing. As such I wasn’t able to operate the iPhone during this review, but I can’t see any difference between this iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4/4S kit we tested before, in terms of phone operatability.

 
A goody for fans of the Quad Lock
The company behind the Quad Lock, Annex Products, have listened to their community and released a “goody”. The standard Quad Lock mounting mechanism is black with a dominant blue ‘collar’, but realising that some people like to “pimp-their-ride”, they have made 3D printed collars available in 6 different colours. While the 3D printing isn’t as smooth as the original injection moulded collar, it is a nice touch.

The Quad Lock Bike Mount Kit for iPhone 5, with the case, mount and poncho retails for USD $69.95 and includes free shipping to Australia. You can see the details and order online: www.quadlockcase.com

Produced by Marty Renwick of Vuelo Velo, you will spot Kahli Morrison in Cyclette women’s cycle wear.

York Lane owner Dieter took a liking to our BNA cycling caps – if Learn, Share, Love Cycling tickles your fancy, we have BNA Cycling Caps available here.

I discovered the difference between good sunnies and cheap sunnies back in the 90′s when I was working hard as a slave to the fast food industry. I saved up a small fortune to buy a pair of quality sunnies, some Arnette’s. They not only made me feel and look good, they were also comfortable and lasted as good sunnies should.  This doesn’t mean I have ignored budget sunglasses completely, though in my experience the difference in quality is like night and day. On the one hand, the cheap sunnies are more easily replaceable if you scratch or break them, but on the other, they usually aren’t as comfortable, they tend to fog up easily, and they may be more likely to let wind through.

The RadarLock Path are definitely a quality pair of sunnies. They are ‘wrap around’ blade style sports sunglasses which Oakley promote as ‘revolutionary’ due to their new mechanism for changing lenses: Switchock. Lets take a look at this technology first.

The Oakley SwitchLock System
If you are familiar with changing lenses on most sports sunglasses, you’ll be familiar with the bending and squeezing required to get the new lense into place. I have never broken a lense doing this and, while it’s a bother, it has never been a major turn-off. Oakley originally presented Switchlock in their Jawbones however in the Radar models this is a completely different system. The Oakley switchlock makes this process of changing lenses on the Radar a little less straight forward at first but thereafter much easier to regularly change lenses. As the major feature of this model, let’s go into detail and unveil the mystery.

1. As a right-hander, to change the lense I held the glass upside down and located the black button with my thumb. What looks like a button you press is in fact a slide button, so using your thumb you slide this back in the direction of the arm.

2. As you slide the button back, with your index finger on the outside you then pull twist the frame in. Obviously, the arms of the sunglasses fold in, but the pivot that will allow the lense to be released is a little further forward.

3. When the corner starts folding in you can release the little black button – the switchlock is now open and the lense can be removed. This is fairly straight forward, the nosepiece wraps onto the lense so you manouver the lense from the nose piece.

4. The lense has little hooks built into its shape and so pulling the lense up-and-out releases the lense from the frame.

Putting a new lense in becomes a little easier; hook the corner in, press the nose piece into the lense and now it sits in place so that you can simply open the sunglasses arm and it all clicks into place.

The switchlock system works well so there is a little less prodding and poking than with other systems. The real advantage is when you ride in different conditions and can decide just before going out which lense you want. After using these sunglasses for a while it took me less that ten seconds for a pitstop to swap the lenses. If you don’t need to change lenses, then the whole switchlock is unnecessary.

The criticism of this system is that you will still get the lense grubby and you’ll need a lense cloth, however there is no lense cloth included though it should be standard. Not a big deal, though for all of the detail Oakley have put into the RadarLock Path, why not go that extra step?

The Details
The Oakley RadarLock Paths come initially with two lenses, which sets you up to be able to benefit from their switchlock system, and the whole package comes in a robust case which nicely holds, pads, and protects the glasses and lenses in transport. You even get a second nose pad which is a little thicker so you can ‘micro-adjust’ and get a good fit.

To further assist in getting a good fit, these sunnies include “unobtanium”. This term is usually used to describe a material or substance that would perfectly resolve a problem in product design but is in itself impossible. After Jim Jannard founded Oakley, he developed a material called unobtainium for use in his eyewear, and in this case the ‘ear sock’ features this rubber type overlay. The point of the Oakley unobtainium is that when it gets wet, such as with sweat, it becomes tacky and thus has better grip. Under a tap I didn’t find that these ‘ear socks’ felt tackier, in fact the opposite, but as I will explain later the fit was that good that this wasn’t an issue.

One of the features that Oakley provide with many glasses is customisation of colours and lenses so that you can mix and match and create a pair of sunnies with the colours you want. The sunnies for review were a standard configuration and quite serious and tech looking with the ‘matt heather grey’ which included accents of black and gunmetal Oakley logos.

When it comes to sunnies, the most important details are the lenses. When you hold the lenses they don’t feel cheap, they had a had a good feel which would lead you to assume that they probably won’t scratch as easily as cheap ones. The lenses are appropriately thick and the edges at the bottom were nicely rounded. There were three things that I really liked about the lenses:

1. Air vents on the top left and right which help to stop them from fogging up;
2. No logos or etching at the bottom edge of the glasses. This is actually an option, but for me these would be in my peripheral vision and I think it is more important to look through the glasses rather than to be reminded of the brand name or some technical detail.
3. Non distorted vision. I tested this claim and, in fact, there was a slight magnification, however it was very minimal and the overall vision through the glasses was consistent without noticeable distortion through the curved lense. This means avoiding headaches caused after a few hours in the saddle when your eyes start complaining that they have to adjust.

The RadarLock Paths came with a grey lense and a G30 Iridium orange lense. Both of course have UV protection and I stuck to the grey lense for the bright sunny riding conditions. The G30 Iridium lense came out for overcast and darker riding conditions as I find they enhance the perception of depth that can otherwise get lost in low and bland light. These two lenses are a good set to have and I would probably only add a clear to the set for night riding.

The Look, the Fit and the Ride
The RadarLock Paths look very fine when you are in the saddle with a helmet on, they’re truly sports sunnies. They are not the type of sunnies that I would wear outside of sport, however. I have tried Oakley Jawbones (which are now the Oakley Jackets) and while they are still sports style glasses, I feel that they look better and I would be more comfortable wearing them out and about.

With functional eyewear the fit is more important that the look. These glasses were great at the front on my nose and had enough space at the top so that the frame didn’t touch my forehead, but on the sides I felt that they pressed in too much. While it meant there was no chance of them falling off, I feared that this would give me headaches, though for the time I had them on I didn’t experience any. These sunnies are a ‘regular fit’ and there is a ‘straight stem’ version for small faces.

The good news about these glasses is that they essentially turned into the type of gear that I like the best – invisible gear. This is the type of gear that you need, like a good pair of cycling knicks, a comfortable helmet or event a groupset, that works as it should and you don’t notice it. I took the RadarLock Paths both mountain biking and road cycling and loved the clarity of the vision, and that there was no wind irritation. Fogging occured only occassionally when stopping at traffic lights and was quite light, the air vents seem to help clear the condensation.

The only criticism I have of the glasses while riding is that, when riding road, compared with mountain biking, where my body is further forward and head down, the top of the frame is in my field of vision, particularly during descents. Oakley have actually recognised this and have an XL version of the RadarLock which increase the height of the sunnies and put the frame, I assume, outside of the field of vision – and you probably get the bonus big lense “Euro-cool” pro cycling effect as well. If you are looking at the Oakley Radar range for cycling it would be worth your while to compare these two and see if the standard size works well or the whether XL is better – simply tilt your head down and look forward, imagining you are descending, and see if the frame bothers you.

It’s a Wrap
It is a matter of preference if you like the wrap around blade style sunnies or prefer two lense type sunnies such as the Oakley Flak Jacket or the bolder Racing Jacket (ex Jawbone) style. The RadarLock Paths are well crafted and for $299.95 are pretty serious for those of us lucky  to be without prescription glasses. You do get the performance and the quality, so even if you’re a weekend rider you will probably end up seeing these as a good investment – unless you are prone to sitting on, losing and scratching your glasses.

Other lenses are available (prices will vary) such as Photochromatic and Transitions. Checkout the Oakley Sports Sunglasses range online for specs and configurations. The specific configuration for the sunglasses on review (SKU# OO9181-04) can be seen here: Heather Matt Grey / G30 Iridium Vented and grey Vented.

For a chance to win, participants were asked:
If you had 1 week, a bike of your choice and unlimited budget, tell us in 25 words or less what would you do?

Before sharing the winners, there was a very clear trend, most people would head over to Europe. I had to read every single answer and in judging this looked for the most interesting answers which stood out among the rest. In total there were 948 entries into this competition (with 775 valid survey responses it meant that some had incomplete survey responses though still a valid entry). Our 2010 survey has 266 responses, so this growth is wonderful in getting a larger cross section.

Winner of the Swiss Side Heidi Wheelset
“CLIMB ALL THE MOUNTAINS! 7 days, 7 continents. European alps, rockies, snowy mountains, Kilimanjaro, himalayan foothills, andes and Antarctica too!” – George Peppou

Winners of the Euride 2 X Catlike Kompact Pro helmets from Euride
“Attempt to break the 7 day record for my age group.” – Darryl Hiron

“Ride from Newcastle back to my parents place in Brisbane to catch up with them, because I miss them” – Jonathan Maggacis

Winner of the $100 Cell Bikes Gift Voucher
“I’d pack our spacesuits and take my Bike Friday Tandem and my lovely wife for a spin around the Sea Of Tranquility.” – Adrian Plaskitt

Winners of the 4 X $50 Cycling Express Gift Vouchers

“I already have most of the parts of the question”I’m Retired” so I would like an electric bicycle for 1 week.” – Mike Stringfellow

“Specialised McLaren, riding to FNQ meeting up with family in various stages to enjoy wife, kids, Australia, and the most expensive bike in the world.” – Juan Gonzaga

“I would buy a bike for every person in Australia who wanted one, which would fix traffic, health and bolster the economy. Then, nap.” – Lincoln Yeo

“It would take me all week to climb Alpe d’Huez ” – Peter Roche

Thank you very much to our prize sponsors Swiss Side, Euride, Cell Bikes and Cycling Express. I will be in contact with each winner.

We are working on the survey results and will publish the top trends and results plus this year will also publish an industry specific cycling report. If you want to stay up-to-date, sign up to our newsletter.

Terms and Conditions

The Swiss brand Assos (greek for ‘Ace’) have been producing their ‘technical cycle apparel’ since 1976 and are a premium brand with a distinctive look. They place a lot of emphasis on the performance aspect in their range of cycle-wear, and you could say, also looking the part while cycling. If you have seen Assos advertising, you will recognise more than just a touch of confident Italian fashion flair.

For Bicycles Network Australia (BNA), I asked Echelon Sports Managing Director Chris Langdon about the Australian re-launch of Assos.

BNA: Echelon Sports have just announced that they are distributing Assos cycle wear in Australia, were you looking at add a line of cyclewear to your inventory?

Chris Langdon: To be honest we hadn’t looked at clothing as a product category option within our plans, when Assos approached us it wasn’t a difficult decision to make ! Assos is such a great brand and held in the highest position in the market, that really made the decision for us.

BNA: Tell me about Assos, what do they have that makes it a good match for Echelon Sports compared with other brands?

Chris Langdon: Assos is a premium cycling apparel company, It is the perfect match for our company, all of our brands are in similar positions in their specific categories. When you look at each of the brands we work with, they are all leaders in there respective categories in relation to new technologies and product development. For us it isn’t just to do another brand, it is imperative that the brands we work with fit our companies profile and passions, at the end of the day your work needs to be fun and if it isn’t you shouldn’t be doing it !

BNA: Will your customers be buying Assos for the look or the performance?

Chris Langdon: I would say that Assos attracts both of those customers, Assos is leading the way in performance, fit and fabric technologies whilst always remaining very mindful of there heritage and the customers they attract.

BNA: Are there risks or challenges of adding a line of clothing to your business which focuses on bikes and cycling equipment?

Chris Langdon: With any type of business there are risks involved without risk there is no reward, We have been overwhelmed with the interests for Australian bike shops requests to become Assos dealers. I think this is a great start for Assos and for me a true indication of how well regarded the brand is within the Australia cycling community.

Dealer and customer requests can be directed to Echelon Sports

In 2010 we ran our last survey the results published in The Ultimate Guide Report received a staggering 10,000 downloads (we stopped counting in 2012). Are there  noticeable trends or even a shift in where and how Aussie cyclists prefer to purchase their gear? What do Local Bike Shops offer that make it worthwhile to buy in-store and likewise, what are the advantages and disadvantages of buying online?

We kindly invite you to take part in the 2013 Bicycles Network Australia Ultimate Cyclist Survey: Start the Ultimate Cyclist Survey (Please allow 15-20 minutes)

To make it worth your while we have secured prizes from some generous businesses; each participant has a chance to win one of these prizes:

Prize Pool
• Swiss Side Heidi Wheelset
• 2 X Catlike Kompact Pro helmets from Euride
• $100 Cell Bikes Gift Voucher
• 4 X $50 Cycling Express Gift Vouchers

Terms & Conditions
Entry into the prize draw is optional and is a Game of Skill.
Start Date 8.2.2013
End Date 5.3.2013
Total Prize Value: $968
Terms and Conditions apply

Forum Discussion
The 2013 Ultimate Cyclist Survey

Download Page
The 2010 Ultimate Guide: Shopping for bicycles and cycling gear online

I arrived in Rotorua, on the North Island, on an Air New Zealand flight, where I first enjoyed some of the finest Mountain Bike trails in the southern hemisphere. Taupo is located 100km south of Rotorua and is well known by outsiders for the annual Lake Taupo Cycle Classic and the New Zealand Ironman. These major events send the towns population temporarily skyward. Outside of these events, mountain biking is growing as fast as the development of the trails in the area.

The two big options for MTBing in Taupo are the W2K (Whakaipo to Kinloch) trail, which is one part of the well funded NZ Cycle Trail Project, and the Huka Challenge course, which forms part of the MTB leg of the Lake Taupo Cycle Classic, which centers around the Wairakei Forest and Craters Mountain Bike Park, just minutes from the town of Taupo. I arrived without any clear idea of what was awaiting me, though the local tourism department is dedicated to the raising the profile of mountain biking in the area, so decided to show me the crème de la crème.

My first port of call on arrival was my accommodation in the exclusive Acacia Cliffs Lodge on the north western corner of the lake, about 15 minutes from town. The lodge is a modern designer house perched on a hilltop overlooking the lake. Hosts, Linda and Rick, cater for small numbers of guests who are personally welcomed to enjoy luxury accommodation and dining. Rick is an accomplished chef who can prepare your meal personally and presents some superb wine, courtesy of top winegrowers. While you are more likely to find top European bankers and golfers at Acacia Cliffs Lodge, mountain biking is no longer the domain of young radicals.

W2K – Whakaipo to Kinloch
After a great night’s rest, waking up to views over Lake Taupo, it was time to go cycling. In town I met Mark Gibson, the owner of Top Gear Cycles in town. He divides his time between family, running the bike shop and establishing the local cycle trails; the long term vision is a mountain bike track that circles the entire lake. Currently it is planned as a 93 kilometer Great Lakes Trail on the north western corner of Lake Taupo, starting at Whakaipo, and suited to multi-day riding. To date, it is about a third completed. Building and planning a trail of this magnitude involves a lot of learning. One challenge, for example, is how best to organise access rights through traditionally held Maori land and farmers property. The planning team are doing an excellent job.

With two full suspension bikes packed in the back of a rattling old hatchback, we drove out of town to our start point in Kinloch. This is a small picturesque town with a protected yacht harbour, and is a popular starting point to take mountain bikers up and onto a headland loop. The cycling can be easily paced to suit ability in both the speed and the distance.

Mountain biking in this area is special for a few reasons, one of the most interesting is that it offers all weather riding. The natural pumice stone in the earth means that the trails drain quickly, which means fewer muddy bogs. The approach to trail building is not just to build it and leave it, rather it includes an ongoing maintenance component. Trail builders have equipment that ‘belongs to the trail’, such as quads and diggers, to build new trails and repair existing sections.

From Kinloch into the headland loop there is fun single-trail riding. After ascending, the trail becomes a well flowing series of turns following the land contours up and down. The good surface lets you focus your skill on speed and cornering rather than dodging roots or technical sections. This construction means that it is more forgiving for less skilled cyclists, though good cardio fitness and concentration make it more enjoyable.

As the trail crawls over the headland and loops around, the lake is often completely hidden from view until you ride into a picture postcard scenic outlook. From one vantage point Mark and I peered over to the distant shore on the peninsular poking into the lake; Mark already has a clear picture of where the trails there would be created. While the actual riding is not extreme, the idea of circling the entire lake by mountain bike is extreme.

Mark Gibson of Top Gear Cycles in Taupo and Christopher Jones of Bicycles Network Australia

W2K is popular among the locals. It won’t take you to your limits, though it gives you a workout, especially if you extend and ride the K2K (Kinloch to Kawakawa) section as well. I took a few tumbles around tight corners where the grippy trail floor gave way to a muddy patch. My reward, though, at the end of the headland loop, was a choice of doing another loop or enjoying the downhill trip back into Kinloch.

Huka Challenge, Wairakei Forest and Craters Mountain Bike Park
When I first visited Taupo during my honeymoon many years ago, the local i-site info center pointed us in the direction of some 1950′s style cabins. When we arrived at the cabins, it didn’t seem that much had changed since the cabins were built and we appreciated the simple furnishing, original oven and a veranda that opened directly to onto the lake. For my MTB trip, the local tourism board wanted to share another one of their gems, so I left Acacia Cliffs Lodge for one of the newest hotels in town, the Hilton.

You could argue that the Hilton is better suited to golfers and well-to-do guests, though the hotel manager went to great lengths to explain the comfort and facilities for their sporting guests. Particularly during major events, the Hilton hotel hosts a lot of guests who want to enjoy its comforts after competition.

For the Huka Challenge trails I was due to meet with the legendary Bruce Jaine. Everyone knows him in town and they nodded with approval on hearing that he was showing me the trails. I was delighted when he pulled up in front of the Hilton in a beat-up van.

Bruce is a veteran mountain biker and even rode in the first ever Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge in 1977 at a time where riding a bike in Taupo for more than a few kilometers was a ridiculous notion. If you ever get the chance, have a chat with Bruce about the early days of off-road riding, pre-suspension. Bruce has taken on the task of planning and building trails for the mountain biking races in the lake Taupo Cycle Challenge, which includes a 40 and 85 kilometer route. This is a job where he competes directly with natural disasters and logging.

As my guide for the day, we began in the center of town, close to the start line of the official MTB route for the Huka Challenge, and after about 10 minutes left the sealed paths as we followed the Waikato River downstream. One of the sections was appropriately named Junk and Disorderly as a tribute to people who have trouble finding rubbish bins and rubbish tips. Since the trail-building, it has now become cleaner than it used to be and, as a direct route from Taupo to a hydroelectric plant, the mountain biking employees of the plant took responsibility for building part of this trail.

This trail took us along a canyon following the river and included a few steep drops on the edge of the trail requiring caution. The trails continue along the river, though we turned and headed towards the Wairakei Forest and Craters MTB Park. A creative section takes riders through a tunnel underneath the road and Bruce had me ride in front so I could experience the WOW effect. Craters of the Moon is a geothermally active area and though the MTB trails don’t go directly to these hot spots, a large network of trails winds through forest, recently cleared forest areas and over three ridges. Sixty individually named trails are interconnected and offer enough for a quick morning or evening spin, or an entire day grinding.

While we were not about to attempt the 85km course circuit, the shorter route that Bruce chose wove in and out of pine forests and open sections and was a wonderful taste of the riding in this area. Though we avoided hefty ascents, there was hardly a flat section in sight. It was all up and down, left and right. The forestry company who own the land wipe out the trails when they clear trees, though they actively support their rebuilding. Completely new trails are developed during rebuilding so the mountain bike trails, along with the trees, have a life cycle.

One of the real highlights of Craters MTB Park is a recently cleared section called Tourist Trap. Once Bruce and his team built the trail, other engaged mountain bikers chipped-in to create banked corners and jumps so it can become fast and furious if you want to take it at pace.

Unless you decide to head up the ridge, the trails are classed as suitable for beginners to intermediate. While the trails are not technical, a fair dose of concentration and skill means you can really power through them. Conditions change as you enter pine forests from pine needles and pine cones (“grenades”) coating the floor, to new flat pack sections and then onto loose gravel. After 50 kilometers of brisk riding, you can appreciate the stamina required of elite mountain bikers riding 85 kilometers at a time. It is easy to become fatigued, which makes the annual Huka Challenge so challenging.

The Craters MTB Park and surrounding trails closer to town are naturally busier than W2K. We rode on a weekday, though, and they were far from full. With this at their doorstep, it is hardly surprising that mountain biking is so enticing for the locals, and for visitors very rewarding.

I actually returned to Craters of the Moon by car in the evening hoping to catch a close-up glimpse of steaming geothermal area. Instead, I stumbled on a night mountain bike race in this section and met one of the event supporters, Nigel Tipene, of the the local bike shop Phoenix Cyclery. This was a strange coincidence, as I had organised to meet him the following day for a coffee and chat about cycling in Taupo.

There are detailed maps that are worth studying, particularly for the Huka Challenge and Craters MTB Park trails, which can seem like a maze. It is worth picking up a hard copy for a few dollars when you are in town, most of which flows back into the trails. The ride from the town of Taupo past the Huka Falls is worth it, though going by car to Craters of the Moon gets you straight into the action.

It wouldn’t be New Zealand without even more adventure activities. There were sky divers dropping from planes the whole time I was in town. I’d been there and done that, so happy to give it a miss. Though the region boasts world class golfing, that was too passive for me. Instead, I took to the skies in the Taupo Float Plane and remained in the cabin for a spectacular loop over the volcanoes. This flight from Taupo headed to the southern end of the lake and circled the ice capped peaks. On the return leg, we passed the hidden W2K trail and flew over the Craters MTB Park returning to town along the Waikato River.

New Zealand, all in a day’s fun
I couldn’t leave New Zealand without a bit of jet boating. A little way north of Taupo, I joined the New Zealand Riverjet on the Waikato River. All of the passengers, bar myself, stopped in at the Orakei Korako thermal park midway. I was booked in for The Squeeze; dressed in a wetsuit, we explored a small tributary, squeezing between rocks that had been carved by the stream over millions of years.

Another source of adventures in this region are the kayak trips on Taupo, and I was particularly looking forward to seeing the Maori Rock Carvings which I heard about when I first visited Taupo but didn’t get the chance to see. Lashed by the wind and increasing swell, the kayaking required the same energy as mountain biking; the kayak doesn’t paddle by itself. I was mistakenly under the impression that the Maori rock carvings were ancient, when in fact they were created in the 70′s. This reflects upon my limited knowledge of Maori history,  though the locals and guides helped to fill in my knowledge gaps.

The best general starting point for the Lake Taupo regions is the Great Lake Taupo Visitor website. For all things mountain biking, the Bike Taupo Advocacy Group is a central information portal with maps and events.

The most convenient flight is the bi-weekly Sydney to Rotorua with Air New Zealand. There is the option of flying to Auckland and catching a small plane into Taupo Airport, though with this option you would need to hire a bike locally.

For Aussies, Simon Gerrans of Orica-GreenEDGE took a highlight win on Australia day up Old Wilunga hill just ahead of Slagter, a stage that has legendary status.

The other highlight of this years tour are the four stage victories of German André Greipel of team Lotto-Belisol. His team in top form for lead-outs, the pacing and finishes were without equal so that most sprint finish contenders were fighting hard just to follow Greipels’ wheel to the finish. Mark Renshaw had a solid chance in the final stage getting some led in the final stretch though was no match for the power of the big German.

Greipel is a crowd favorite and in Australia with this stage victory takes the number of professional stage victories to 100. Another favourite German, 41 year old Jens Voigt of Team Radioshack Trek was a real crowd pleaser taking part in a number of break aways during the tour.

The Tour Down Under organisers announced a turnout of 750,000 people

Photo © Santos Tour Down Under

The second part of the interview was more focused on Lance, how he is feeling and his family, it was familiar territory for Oprah Winfrey as a talkshow host. More about emotion and less about situations for which observers are still seeking answers.

While the interview was heavily edited before broadcasting, it seems to have been linear – there was a lot more repetition as Lance reconfirms that he is sorry, there were however a few snippets that will raise eyebrows.

When asked whether he deserves to be able to compete again, Lance responded “I think I deserve it” and suggested that others had received 6 month bans and he receives a “death sentence”. The magnitude of his actions against his competitors hasn’t registered yet, not only with the number of competitive victories over such a long time frame, but also the side stories of bribery (accusations) and his legal fights and suing people which is now clearly based upon the lie.

The donation attempt to the USADA was discussed with Lance denying knowing who would made the offer. Oprah asked “Were you trying to pay off the USADA?” to which Lance responded “No, that is not true.”

In fact, Lance points the finger back at the USADA asking why this wasn’t included in their reasoned decision. Extremely murky territory though we are asked by Lance to believe him even though he has become a serial liar.
In short, the second part lacked the substance, included a lot of repetition and spent little or no time on topics that may have legal or financial implications.

The interview comes across as an orchestrated event, at least from Armstrong’s side while the Oprah team have every interest in promoting this, even if they haven’t the power (or jurisdiction) to delve into the details to deliver a complete and more truthful picture.

John Fahey, the chief of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) said after part one “The evidence shows variations in [Armstrong’s] blood that show with absolute certainty that he was doping after 2005. Believe Usada or believe Armstrong. I know who to believe.”

There is very real doubt about the extent of the truth that was revealed. Armstrong said in Part One that he wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for the USADA action – he would not have confessed. Have we heard the convenient truth or entire truth?

Finally the public has some satisfaction – satisfaction of a confirmation what everyone knew and what he was charged with. The interview kicked off with the questions of doping and without padding was direct.

Lance Armstrong: “The story and so bad and so toxic, and a lot of it is true.”

The padding and indecisiveness began later with questions on specific events such as doping in the tour bus while fans were outside and for most of the questions regarding other people or organisations.

Strangely, Armstrong says that he is “no fan of the UCI” which is unusual considering the backing of the UCI and that he ‘donated’ money to them which he says they asked for because they needed money.

Most revealing is the suggestion that he wouldn’t be sitting here today – confessing with Oprah if it hadn’t had been for the USADA case. Lets think about that, only because of the USADA case is he driven to confess and had otherwise no intention.

What he did confess to:
- Doping with EPO, Testosterone, Blood Doping
- Doping during all seven Tour de France wins
- Motoman
- The last time he doped was in 2005
- bullying (to an extent)
- The story regarding Emma O’Reilly and the backdating of cortisone

What he didn’t confess to:
- (Verbally) pressuring anyone to dope
- Firing anyone from his team for not doping
- Masterminding / Conspiracy
- UCI bribery
- Testing positive during the 2001 Tour de Suiss and coverup
- Betsy Andreu and the hospital accusations of doping admission to doctors (In the interview he says he wont discuss and suggested a deal has been made).

What he avoided:
- That Michelle Ferarri was involved “he was a good man”
- Generally talking about others

It is disturbing to see the smirks and attempts at jokes for example the bullying of Betsy Andreu, it is certainly not a joking matter. There is an aire of confidence in the way Armstrong addresses questions  which he wants to answer. Where Armstrong doesn’t have a direct answer he moves around and talks around the question – suggesting that we are not hearing the whole story.

Cycling fans who have followed this case want more detail and answers on specifics are left partially only partially satisfied – though Oprah Winfrey is still asking many of the questions “we” want answers to – even if clear answers are not forthcoming. Part two is likely to be less informative: “how did you feel when…?” His motivations for the interview and future will be asked though based on part one will unlikely escape the feeling of “self preservation”.

Voting Here: Are you satisfied with the Lance Armstrong Confession?

Further community discussion in the forums: Holy showtime Batman – Lance to admit doping?

Photo © jdegenhardt