11 DH Bikes of the Australian National Series

Feb 10, 2016
by Mike Levy  
We'll have to wait until April for any World Cup DH excitement, but there's plenty of race action to be seen in the southern hemisphere during the so-called off-season. This last weekend saw the third round of the Australian National Series play out on a fast and rough Thredbo track that was eating wheels all weekend long, as well has Troy Brosnan's shoulder - the Specialized racer has plenty of time to heal up before the World Cup season gets underway. Graeme Mudd took the win aboard his Devinci Wilson, just 1.5 seconds quicker than Jared Graves on his BoXXer equipped Enduro, and Tegan Molloy won by a convincing 8.46 seconds ahead of Danielle Beecroft.

When he wasn't shooting the racers on course, photographer Jamie Black snapped eleven pros with their bikes. Which one is your favorite?


photo
  Michelle Crisp with her YT Tues.

photo
  Andrew Crimmins and his Kona.

photo
  Danielle Beecroft and her Pivot Phoenix.

photo
  Brent Smith poses with his Devinci Wilson.

photo
  Another Wilson, this one being Victoria Armstrong's.

photo
  Tegan Molloy and the Kona she raced to first place.

photo
  Ben Cory's Giant Glory.

photo
  Tim Eaton and his Glory.

photo
  Josh Button with his Glory.

photo
  Luke Ball and his Nukeproof.

Graeme Mudd with his Devinci Wilson featuring an upgraded XX1 chainring.
  Graeme Mudd and his Wilson.


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131 Comments
  • 366 10
 Really, that was only 6 DH bikes with 5 repeats... If you're going to say 11 DH bikes, make it 11 different DH bikes... Just sayin...
  • 21 1
 Exactly what I was thinking @theflu what's the point showing 3 identical Glory's straight after each other?
  • 4 0
 I thought there would be more in that sequence, just for the banter. It would illustrate how popular they are.
  • 12 0
 they did change their orientation...
  • 1 8
flag Tombola27 (Feb 11, 2016 at 1:11) (Below Threshold)
 Difficult to get a broad range in Australia as far as I know. Fox and Kona the main distributors
  • 4 30
flag Comedian19 (Feb 11, 2016 at 1:42) (Below Threshold)
 after YT who care's about the rest ?
  • 6 2
 to be honest @Tombola27 there's a whole lot of range here: Intense, Rocky, Scott, Trek etc. Was quite surprised at this lineup because there were about 8 other teams down there with different frames. Oh well...
  • 2 0
 @Tombola27 we have a large range especially giant, trek, norco, scott, intense, mondraker but a massive shortage in knolly, transition and commencal.
  • 3 0
 @thisisjosh95 @josh-Byron good to know!
  • 5 4
 normally, nobody likes the just saying guy.. but here .. props!
  • 7 1
 To be fair, that last Glory did have different tyres lol

Purely based on looks, the orange Kona is my favorite as it looks cleanest (design wise)
  • 4 3
 luv the new Carbon Operator
  • 9 1
 and all of them wearing a boxxer
  • 2 3
 Glory Hole
  • 2 0
 V10,demo,m16,commencal,gt.....now it's 11.
  • 1 1
 Cove!!!
  • 1 1
 Remember .... sponsors pay the bills and editors need to pay their bills too!

PS: Who selected these photos

flag thisisjosh95 (3 days ago)
to be honest @Tombola27 there's a whole lot of range here: Intense, Rocky, Scott, Trek etc. Was quite surprised at this lineup because there were about 8 other teams down there with different frames. Oh well...
  • 74 0
 Looks like RS has the market cornered in Australia.
  • 8 43
flag keystonebikes (Feb 10, 2016 at 19:40) (Below Threshold)
 its funny that so many are wearing fox gear and rs shocks. i know the head and tail are different, but not everyone knows that.
  • 32 4
 So the point you are trying to make is...?
  • 8 21
flag keystonebikes (Feb 10, 2016 at 20:05) (Below Threshold)
 an uneducated person will see that and say "look! even the fox guys are riding rock shox!" bad for fox, good for rs i suppose.
  • 7 1
 Rockshox are dominating here in Australia. Almost every bike brand have RS now and people are buying Boxxers, Pikes you name it.
  • 5 0
 was literally just thinking that. Thats wild. weird cause so much fox up here in the PNW but i smell a shift.
  • 19 34
flag DM-DownHill (Feb 10, 2016 at 22:22) (Below Threshold)
 Why should we care about what goes on in that deserted wasteland?
  • 9 0
 Not true, I saw one DVO in the background... (now re-read with a hit of sarcasm.)
  • 4 1
 Haven't seen anyone wearing Shift stuff for years @Motoracer31
  • 50 5
 This desert wasteland pumps out a lot more World Cup winners that Canada ever has a chance at.......
  • 2 2
 A lot of socal guys looking to get off pikes and try something stiffer and many getting pikes upgraded(avalanche i thnk). Boss may penetrate much more now that qbp deal.
  • 6 37
flag ratedgg13 FL (Feb 10, 2016 at 23:32) (Below Threshold)
 @Kiwimccaughan Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of Smith, Rheeder, Semenuk, Agassiz, Sorge, Norbs, etc. being better than you.
  • 13 4
 So thats 1 World Cup winner in your list ratedgg13... against how many from Aus?
  • 6 27
flag ratedgg13 FL (Feb 11, 2016 at 0:17) (Below Threshold)
 Okay, sure we have less DH world cup wins, but you aren't even on the radar for slopestyle or freeride.
  • 36 7
 @ratedgg13 Canadian riders are awesome but none considered the greatest of all time bitch SAM fkn HILL
Mic drop I'm out with your mum.
  • 4 1
 Aussie battlers mindset punching above their weight.
  • 11 5
 AARON GWIN JOHN TOMAC RICKY CARMICHAEL RICKY BOBBY Wyn and Ed Masters are still more enjoyable
  • 2 4
 I wanted to be John Tomac when I was eleven years old. That said, he was never that good. I know because I can still remember the disappointment every time Frishknekt (sp?) or Djernis beat him, or Iten or Brentjens. Legend? Yes. Dominator? No.
  • 11 1
 Anyone who raced DH with a 120mm stem and 40mm of travel is a legend
  • 6 0
 You've got me on Ricky Bobby though. He flat out smashed it until Carly left him.
  • 2 1
 @somismtb You forgot Mr. Shaun Palmer
  • 4 0
 All the Americans over here thinking "What the hell is Canada?"
  • 1 0
 ^^^glad it's not gust me that noticed that
  • 1 0
 *just
  • 1 0
 shift stuff? What are you talking about? @T1mb0
  • 1 0
 Well this thread got a little punchy.
  • 3 0
 America is just the offspring of every other country. So we are actually all one in the same. Thanks to the rest of the world
  • 1 0
 @Motoracer31 www.shiftmx.com Razz
  • 2 0
 Oh I see what you meant now. I know what the gear is but I didnt realize what you meant.
  • 44 1
 Every time I see a Wilson I think of castaway...WILSON!!!!!
  • 16 1
 I think of the Tool Man.
  • 5 0
 Why do they look so small though?
  • 14 0
 Some one needs to make a full face helmet with volleyball stripes painted on it.
  • 2 1
 Then take that helmet and make your own red mark next time you crash
  • 1 0
 Because they are
  • 10 0
 Every time I see a Glory I think of.....
  • 1 0
 Them DeVincis look lovely!
  • 26 0
 Love those Konas. Does anybody even know Fox suspensions down under?
  • 1 0
 Yes, but we are only seeing 6 bikes here... bit more variety might show some more forks
  • 4 0
 Or Shimano.
  • 23 2
 i'll really like the one with the xo cranks
  • 43 1
 I like the one with rockshoxs suspensions
  • 4 1
 the one with the guide brakes was cool too
  • 3 0
 This all just makes it easier for the mechanics
  • 15 1
 I like the one with the hot blonde
  • 1 0
 I like the one with Flows on it
  • 18 0
 The YT and the Konas are the best looking for me.
  • 14 1
 Kona really has come a long way in a short amount of time. The new operators are sweet.
  • 14 1
 Victoria Armstrong, don't take advice from Uncle Lance, just sayin
  • 13 1
 The Kona's are clean, simple, and they work. Period.
  • 8 0
 I like my Yt tues so much that I don't have a lust list anymore. Yt got me as a customer for life let's just hope signing Aron Gwin won't raise their prices Big Grin
  • 5 0
 so they already have!
especially since they now use fox...
dont see the reasoning over this as Bos are pricey than Fox,really price should have gone down?
  • 2 0
 Damn man that's not good, guess nothing last's forever Smile
  • 9 1
 Are the Konas 27.5? Seriously. Cause they took the 27.5 off their website. Also I need one of those Pivots . . . so sexy
  • 4 0
 yes they are 275
  • 1 0
 Actually, if you go to their website the supreme operator and operator are spec. at 26". BOOM!
  • 2 1
 @danrowe those are aluminum 275 operators. not the 26 inch bike on the website. look closer, the frame is totally different, and aluminum. not sure why its not on the kona website, maybe the sell so many 26 in operators, they don't need to release this one yet?
  • 1 0
 I'll take one. It's time to retire my 2005 Kona Stinky which has very similar color ways.
  • 5 0
 Lots of Minions, a couple of Schwalbes, but not an Onza in the bunch. Wait 'til next year! Unless of course, A-A-Ron decides to ride blacked-out Minions unitl Onza makes him a tire he likes (repeat of the Bontrager experience?)
  • 5 0
 Key & Peele ? I feel you dog
  • 2 0
 Blaaaaaaake
  • 9 1
 Wilson looks weird now
  • 2 0
 that bike is hard to look at....
  • 1 0
 it looks like it has a baby in its belly
  • 4 0
 That Pivot though, talk about attention to details. I want to buy one just to hang it on my wall at home. Would also love to demo one.
  • 4 0
 I only counted 6 bikes - repeated a few times
  • 3 0
 Two Zerodes won two categories, but no pics :-( Is this a sponsored segment?
  • 3 0
 I love the Glory's lines and curves.
  • 1 0
 Glories look great and so does that Nukeproof. But the Wilsons..I don't know, there's something strange with them, they look so small.
  • 2 0
 Second Picture, left side, Intense with DVO's? give us an in-focus pic of that please.
  • 1 0
 Its kinds of a landslide with XO cranks. I do not think they know about RF or Shimano Down Under. I still rather Race Face SixC or Shimano Saints.
  • 1 0
 I run Raceface SixC 35 bar and Atlas stem with full Shimano XT group set... On a Giant Reign haha
  • 2 0
 All of their seats are so high, I would lower mine, but maybe that's why I'm not a professional downhill racer.
  • 2 0
 Perhaps its not that steep or maybe so rough they clinch their legs in the straights
  • 1 0
 I was thinking that too.
  • 1 0
 I think Danielle Beecroft has done what I did with my old Boxxers - just bought some 650b lowers instead of buying whole new forks
  • 2 0
 not too many different bikes
but genderwise: 4 out of 11 racers are women
that's an unusual high percentage of pics of women
  • 1 0
 How is it that Kona is [now] competing on a bike that nobody can buy?
They never released it, and it's been absent from their website for several months
  • 2 0
 Could have added a Mondraker in there were enough of those around
  • 2 0
 I'd say shameless plug, but more of a shameless "what about me" haha!
  • 3 1
 Its like the same four bikes...
  • 3 1
 0 fox forks . . . Only boxxer
  • 1 0
 Well that was disappointing. I was hoping to see something new and cool. Or at least 11 different bikes...
  • 1 0
 It seems like they all run big frames for there sizes except mudd
  • 1 0
 This Bike check brought to you by. Sram/Rockshox
  • 7 5
 The Wilson is fugly.
  • 2 1
 i think it looks fine but its way to heavy for a modern dh race bike
  • 2 3
 No-one like Kona? Why? I broke one Operator and it was sooo sweet feeling Big Grin The feeling like you want to cry but you don't bcs everybody told you it's gonna brake one time.
  • 1 0
 Maxxis winning the tyre wars as usual...
  • 1 0
 no specialized domination in Australia ?? yesssss!
  • 1 0
 I miss Jared with Yeti SB6C with a DH Set Up
  • 1 0
 FJC Clothing, made in Indonesia Big Grin
  • 1 0
 xo and boxxers on every bike, kinda odd
  • 1 0
 That Nukeproof is hot.
  • 1 0
 3 glorys dont count..
  • 1 1
 Anyone notice the overall trend in brakes they are using?
  • 1 2
 Guide RSC or Guide Ultimate, followed by XTR, then I saw a couple XOs.
  • 4 0
 I see a few are running guide levers and code calipers
  • 2 1
 no TRP ?
  • 1 0
 Anyone notice the overall trend in tires? The winner was the only guy with a DHRII on the rear.
  • 1 1
 YT suspension looks like the impossible!
  • 1 1
 Are all of them racing BOXXER RC and GUIDE + CODE combo?
  • 2 0
 Boxxer World Cup most likely
  • 1 0
 You are right, the rebound knobs on pictures are looking like the one on my 2012 RC.
  • 1 0
 after looking at the photos more closely, I can assure you that all of them have the Charger Damper, which makes them either Team or World Cup models
  • 1 2
 omg... how sexy my glory is looking in the carbon version... this will cost me some bucks...f#$k
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