What is TSB(r) in your Load and Performance chart or PMC chart

What is TSB(r) in your Load and Performance chart or PMC chart:

TSB(r)% is another way of looking at your training stress balance, just in the form of a percentage. It still takes into account your Acute Training Load(ATL) and your Chronic Training Load(CTL), and therefore is affected by your day to day rides. It is your Acute training load(ATL) as a percentage of your Chronic training load (CTL).

So if you have a TSB(r)% of 100 then this means that you have a training stress balance of 0, and that your ATL and CTL are the exact same number. Any number above 100 shows that you are fatigued and vice versa any number below 100 shows that you are recovered and are relatively fresh. This makes this an excellent tool for monitoring fatigue and when athletes are at risk of developing an injury or illness, and through tracking an athlete can gauge what level they become at risk to injury/illness.

T-Score (TSS) , CTL , ATL and TSB explained by Today's Plan

What does T-Score mean?

E.g. 123 This value is a calculated score used to objectively measure rides completed with power data. The formula takes into account both the ride intensity and duration. If you are working to a plan, then a session will have a target T-Score – in which case you need to ride to both the specified duration and intensity to reach the desired goal. Generally speaking, a T-Score of 30 would be an easy hour recovery ride, 120 would be a solid 2 hour training ride, and 300 would be a massive Sunday epic.

 What is CTL? Chronic training load is a way of objectively measuring your general fitness. It is the long term, daily T-Score average of your rides. ie your daily T-Score average over a long period of time. To increase your CTL you are doing (on average) rides with a higher T-Score – this can be performed through either longer rides or more intense rides. CTL is a great way of tracking your overall fitness.  

What is ATL? Acute training load is a way of objectively gauging your current training load. It is the short term, daily T-Score average of your rides. ie your daily T-Score average over a short period of time. When compared with your CTL, you can see if you are currently riding above or below your long term average. By comparing your ATL and CTL you can track if you are building or recovering, and the comparison between the two values gives your TSB or freshness score.

 What is TSB? The training stress balance is really a freshness score. It is calculated simply by comparing your CTL to your ATL. A negative number will indicate you have been doing “harder” rides then your long term average. Harder could be either in duration or intensity. When your freshness score is negative you will likely feel tired and fatigued. In contrast a positive score indicates you are doing less load then your long term average. This is what you want for a taper or recovery period. In these periods you should start to feel refreshed and ready to knock out a personal best.

Today's Plan explains :Load and Performance charts CTL; ATL ; TSB

CTL/ATL/TSBLoad and performanceRider load tracking over time

The load and performance chart allows the rider or coach the ability to track chronic training load CTL, acute training load ATL and training stress balance TSB over selected time periods. CTL is really another way of looking at the rider’s current fitness level. CTL is derived from the weighted average of the last 42 days of the riders T-Scores. Correct ramp rates in terms of CTL build are different for individual riders, for some a ramp rate of 5 points/week may be achievable for a period of time during the base phase of a program. For others a 2-3 point rise will be enough without leading to declining performance and potential sickness. ATL is the weighted average of the last 7 days of the riders T-Scores. ATL is really a representation of the riders current fatigue level. A ride with a large T-Score will create a load and stress on the body that could take several days to recover from. This is represented by a sharp increase in the ATL line on the Load and Performance Chart. During periods of heavy training with consecutive hard day’s ATL will rise rapidly. TSB is the rider’s current CTL minus their ATL. TSB can be considered a riders freshness or fatigue indicator. Over time patterns and correlations between the interaction of CTL and ATL can be observed that can help distinguish the optimal TSB for an individual riders best performances.

When a rider has developed a high CTL and therefore fitness it doesn’t mean they are ready to race. The past weeks or months of training could have left the rider in a negative TSB and with a level of fatigue. By reducing the load in terms of ATL to below the current level of CTL a TSB rebound will occur. This rebound in TSB into a less negative or positive level will represent freshness and race/event readiness. For some riders this level of freshness TSB will be different for specific races. For a one day endurance race or event a simple trend of increasing TSB rebound can be enough to elicit a strong performance. This could see the riders TSB move from -20 to +1 or 2 and a strong performance will follow. For others this may not be enough rebound and this will depend on the length of time at or in the fatigued state and level of CTL. For stage races or very short intense efforts it may be necessary to allow for a larger TSB rebound and give away a little more fitness to be fresher. The accumulative days of racing or longer events will drive the TSB of a rider down and therefore coming into the event with a more positive TSB will allow the rider to better handle the load over the time/duration of the event. This might see the rider look to start the event with a TSB of +15 – 25 to elicit optimal performance over the coming race or event days. By toggling into the Load and performance chart the various performance and fatigue ratings from the rider in terms of peak W/kg, stress metrics such as sleep and fatigue patterns a greater understanding of the individual and their ability to handle load can be observed.

Certain trends can be seen that can help the rider or coach with selections for races and who in the team is handling the load and those that are not. Things to look for could be trends in poor sleep and high ramp rates for CTL as this could be a sign that the athlete is not handling the load and needs a small break to recover.

Paris business FTP ANALYTICAL COACHING SYSTEMS (PTY) LTD has taken up the sole distribution rights to Todays Plan Today’s Plan is a start-up company providing online services for cyclists and their coaches. Today’s Plan have built an extensible platform for collecting cycling related data, normalising and transforming this data, storing it and then making it available through a variety of graphical and textual views. The driving philosophy behind our various tools and functionality is to: ● make structured training and associated analytics accessible to all ● provide specific tools for a team manager or coach to effectively manage multiple athletes, and to make informed decisions on their riders ● provide specific tools to enable both riders and coaches to get the most from common training tools, such as power meters, heart rate monitors and other related sensors ● to leverage new and emerging cycling sensor technologies providing mechanisms to ingest new data streams and to present them in a meaningful analytical manner In addition to providing specific data views and analytics interfaces for a coach to monitor a rider’s progression, the system can provide multi-rider analysis views allowing for team or group based tracking and comparison. Coupled with Today’s Plan telemetry technology, real-time coaching and live ride tracking is also available. Today’s Plan is a young and agile company, built using best practice cloud based Technologies see video :

Dungeons and Sunset Boxing day Tow Surf 30-60 ft???

Now that the hype to over of the past Xmas and New year’s swell has pasted along with Zigzag running the the article on the Boxing day session, which I am going put my neck out and say it was possible the biggest waves tow surfed in South Africa to date. I was huge and rouge! I was lucky to get out the water unharmed, the only damage was the hull of the ski, pinning it on the rocks coming in at the slipway as the pole was knock over by the swell overnight along with the loss of a tow rope.

Although there were no photographers or media boats able to get out to the breaks, a mad sailor in his 45ft monohull did pull in for 5 mins at Dungeons on his way out to sea and snapped a wave of Jakes whilst passing by the Centennial. The pics where sent to me from a good mate who I train with on the bike most mornings, Matt Wentworth who obviously has been hanging around the yacht clubs bars little too much! But you will get the idea of the how rouge and unpredictable the swell was on boxing day. If I had to start describing my session I honestly wouldn’t know where to start, beside my first wave was 30-40ft plus and I was able to make the inside section of Dungeons and got pumped to the bottom, wearing an Impossible paddle vest, impact vest and buoyance vest on and was wishing I had a Co2 vest after 60secs of being ragdolled 30ft under water… but that was only the start of the session!

  

 

Strava is dead

Claimed overall title of the Shimano MTB GP series for 2014 in Elite 4hr category

2014 has been a ripper year on the bike along with the arrival of my son on the 17th Aug, racing all over Australia almost every weekend from the centre of the desert in Alice Springs for a 6 day stage race, Wombat forests of Victoria  to vying for the series lead in NSW based Shimano GP series title.  

But on Sunday I was officailly awarded the title of Overall Series winner of the Shimano GP MTB series. Unfortunately was unable to race the last race due to a knee issue which has kept me off the bike but hope to be fit enough to race the full Kolwalski MTB race. However winning two of the series  events and a 2nd gave me enough of a lead to hold onto the series overall title:

THE FULL KOWALSKI (Circa 100 km):

The Full Kowalski will challenge you over a mind bendingly high proportion of flowing single track across East Kowen Forest and Sparrow Hill. Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention tantalising traverses, sweet carving descents and a few delightfully stout stem-biting climbs (provided free by the ACT Parks and Conservation Service!). This race will have it all… and more.

 

Media release, 16 September 2014

 

Stromlo rewards local racers at final SHIMANO MTB GP Series Race

 

Almost 300 riders participated in the final SHIMANO Mountain Bike Grand Prix Series event at Stromlo Forest Park. Many local riders claimed podium positions and two local riders took out the seven-hour elite endurance categories Four-hour format popular with solo racers

 

Australia's 2014 Commonwealth Games representative Andy Blair won the 4-hour elite men's race with 10 completed laps in 4:13:44 ahead of ex-Supercrosss World Champion Stefan Merriman from Newcastle and Daniel Beresford from Wagga Wagga (NSW). "It was great to win a race on home ground", said Blair and added that his fellow racers put up a good fight.

 

Noticeably absent due to injury was overall series winner in the 4-hour, Paris Basson from Sydney and the organisers credited Bryan Dunkin who secured the overall Junior series win with 9 laps and a fifth consecutive win at Stromlo. Wendy Stevenson from Sydney won the 4-hour elite women's race and was also awarded the overall series title.

 

Shooting the Santa Cruz Solo with Inciteimages.com

As you can tell the image captured here by Mark Watson from inciteimages.com are insane.

But there is a story behind every shot: 5:20am shoot on an injured knee in a undisclosed location made for a cool memory and will grace a few international magazines.

Bike was kitted with KS dropper, Sram X1, Sram 650B Rise60 wheels, wide 720 bars

​Media release, 9 September 2014

​SHIMANO MTB Grand Prix finale in Canberra draws Australia's top endurance mountain bikers

The fifth and final race of this year's SHIMANO Mountain Bike Grand Prix Series will summon more than 300 racers to Canberra's Stromlo Forest Park this Saturday. Organisers from Rocky Trail Entertainment expect a thrilling conclusion to the popular cross-country racing series that has seen a good 1500 riders cross their finish line since March. For 2015, a six-race series with headline sponsor SHIMANO Cycling Australia has already been confirmed to commence in early March next year.

For the final event, an eight kilometre race course will be set out at Stromlo Forest Park and among the participants will be some of Australia's top endurance athletes, including Canberra's Andrew Blair who finished in 12th at the recent Commonwealth Games XCO competition in Glasgow (UK). Rocky Trail's Event Director Juliane Wisata says that the series has attracted a wide variety of mountain bike racers since its inception in 2009, "We see this series as a real playground for all keen mountain bikers. Especially this year we've seen a huge influx of junior and female racers and we think it's because we provide a positive event atmosphere and professional racing platform for Australian athletes to enjoy and share their passion for mountain biking and to develop their skills." 

Series decider at Stromlo Forest Park

 

In the GP4-hour elite series, Wendy Stevenson and Paris Basson lead their respective categories. The top three series place-getters in each solo and team category will get awarded with the official SHIMANO MTB GP Series Champions socks and certificates. A minimum of two race results are required to be eligible for a placing and the best 4 out of 5 race points results will count towards to final series result

Media release, 11 August 2014

​

SHIMANO Mountain Bike Series announces two equal series leaders: McNamara and Richardson for GP7 hr

 

Paris Basson, comfortable GP4-hour elite men's lead after Round 4

 

 

Paris Basson and Brooke Rowlands are the GP4-hour elite winners of the SHIMANO Mountain Bike Grand Prix Round 4 at The Australian Botanic Garden, Mt Annan. In the GP7-hour competition turned out to be a nail-biter: Canberra's EdMcDonald persisted on the challenging track and won ahead of Quantum racers Michal Kafka and Ondrej Slezak. But it was Callum McNamara that attacked Max Richardson's series lead early on and with a fourth place ahead of the final series event on his home track at Stromlo Forest Park on 13 September, McNamara now draws level with Richardson taking over the series lead ex aequo with the newcomer from the Central Coast.

Organisers Rocky Trail Entertainment summoned a record field of riders to the SHIMANO Mountain Bike Grand Prix race at The Australian Botanic Garden, Mt Annan. Almost 350 riders competed in the four and seven hour competitions and with his second victory Paris Basson further increased his series lead in the GP4-hour elite men's category. Dominating a tight race among a field of more than 100 solo racers he managed to squeeze in 9 laps in 3:59:23 for yet another successful race with the birth of his first child imminent. Mike Cameron from Maroubra came in second with a gap of 6  minutes ahead of last year's winner Daniel McDonald from Campbelltown.

Detailed results from the Mount Annan event and online registration for Round 5 are now live on www.rockytrailentertainment.com

Shimano MTB Grand Prix series

Round 4:

Magellan duo takes out line honours

 

Sydney-siders Paris Basson and James Lamb from Magellan Racing dominated the overall field all day and were the only team to complete 23 laps in the elite pairs division, taking the line honours. “I’ve been racing almost every Rocky Trail event this year and they just keep getting better”, said Paris Basson. “The atmosphere is just phenomenal! We heard the music on most parts of the track and the event centre was so well arranged, great food, great company – an awesome weekend out!” Team mate and solo endurance racer James Lamb agreed, “This was one of the best races I’ve ever been to. And this team racing thing is quite a challenge, man, you push each other to race as hard as you can, it’s actually tougher that I thought it would be.”

 

 

Overall winners and line honours: 

Team 2 Male Elite // Magellan Racing // Paris Basson, James Lamb / 23 laps in 12:05:18

Round 3:

Four-time World Enduro Motor Cross Champion Stefan Merriman took out the four-hour Elite Men’s race at the SHIMANO Mountain Bike Grand Prix (MTB GP) near Wyong on the weekend, winning against series leader Paris Basson. With 14 completed laps Jason English won the seven-hour competition ahead of Andrew Lloyd and Max Richardson from Wamberal, who takes over the reigns as new series leader in that division. In the women’s competition, Lana Moy further increases her series lead in the four-hour event, whilst Kirby Knowles held onto her seven-hour series lead finishing second behind a dominant Laura Renshaw, the Elite Women’s winner of round three.

The depth of field was impressive as almost 350 riders gathered at the start line at Ourimbah MTB Park for the third round of the SHIMANO Mountain Bike Grand Prix Series. Multiple National Champions and the 24-Hour World Champion Jason English were at the start line, as well as one of Australia’s biggest names in motor cross racing: Stefan Merriman. After a win in the 40+ master category in round one with Rocky Trail earlier this year at Awaba, the 41-year old from Port Stephens showed that his talent for two-wheeled sports also extends into mountain biking and won in the elite male category with 8 laps completed in 4:01:13, putting none other than series leader Paris Basson in second ahead of Qantum racer Michal Kafka who came third.

Paris' new Jamis Xenith 2014 Team bike, up spec’ed to Dura Ace Di2 and SRAM Quarq

All cyclists are familiar with the big brands ala Specialized, Giant, Scott and Merida here is a brand that can rival all and is producing some of the best ride quality bikes out there, ENTER the new 2014 Jamis Xenith road bikes.

To start ask most USA domestic team riders after a few drinks what is their favourite bike they have ridden and sure as shit it will be the Xenith. Jamis pro road team: Jamis-Hagens Berman had stellar results with stage wins at the Amgen Tour of California and USA Pro Cycling Challenge, as well as several other domestic events. 2014 Xenith line is a refinement of the teams development and one kick ass bike, a complete redesign of the Jamis’s tried-and-true carbon rig.

Ok well my bike isn’t exactly stock however is as dreamie as you can make it! A true mongrel of the best parts I believe is in the market to date:

Frame wise is the top end models Xenith SL and the Team are the same in different colour swatches- one red one white. Mine is the Team same carbon count and lay up as the SL. The Team comes with full 11 speed Sram Red, which I use on my Jamis Supernova Team CX bike, and works like a dream. However as I am brand manager for Magellan GPS we have been working with Shimano on integrating Di2 gearing into the Cyclo500 head unit, so you can view your current gearing and battery status on your device and analyse the gear data after your ride. This is something where the future of auto pilot or automatic gearing will go along with some great post processing software that can tell me what power I am most effectively producing in what gear ratio’s, etc.

Check out DC rainmakers site for full details : http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/03/mio-di2-wireless-control.html

 So for development purposes this I have splashed out on Dura Ace 9070 Di2 11 speed, front and rear derailleurs, DA shifters and internal wiring which the frame is setup for although there is no Di2 bike in the stocked range this year. Then to cap off my pre baby spending spree I added the most stable and attainable power meter cranks to the Jamis the SRAM Quarq Red 53/39-172.5mm crankset. I cannot stress enough to never buys a SRM due my own personal experiences with SRM New Zealand service centre (however that is a whole another story which am happy tell anyone).

Now Shimano will tell you that you will reduce the seamlessness of the shifting if you use an Quarq with DA Di2 due to the chainrings, however I have not had any issues and super happy with the Quarq and Di2 living in symbiosis. As for wheels I will race the bike with my HED’s and train on the Cole C24 lite http://www.colewheels.com/pages/product.php?type=road&id=1&ids=Road%20Clincher and they look and ride sweetly seem like built proof wheels and good for 10000km’s As for contact points this puppy is riddled with Ritchey WCS carbon bars (44cm) wrapped with Fizik super sticky bar tape, 100m WCS carbon stem, WCS carbon post with an internal Di2 battery inserted in post, real easy to fit and don’t need to go down the route of buying a Shimano Pro specific post (all that is needed is to wrap some bartape around the battery and twist her in tightly) and a 125gram SLR seat (hard to come by nowday’s).

 

As for the ride I will update you on this as have only ridden a few km’s on her and all I could tell is the excelaration is ridiculous out the blocks. So can only imagine that will have no excuses but too make sure I do the bike justice by going hard on her over the next year!
 Here are a few detailed pics for the review:

 

 

 

TRP front barke has huge power and that aero feel again

 

The lines look great without a rear brake on the stays

 

 A beefed up BB for Gripel and his mates power transfer

 

Internal routing for Di2 on frame

 

 The hidden rear brake is give it nice clean look and a few seconds off your PB's

 

Pivot Mach Pivot 429 review

I did this review for Australia Mountain Bike magazine on the Pivot 429 a few months ago and photo shoot with Mark "Watto" Watson. Which is always good as Watto is the photographer that never wants to take pics of any bike (MTB or Motocross) with both wheels on the ground, as his own bike skills pertains to throwing himself off ledges and generally hurting himself in some way. Which I commend and can relate to so we work well together and hence why is photo’s have coveted almost every sports magazine globally.

Within just over 5 years, Pivot bikes have found the pure essence of developing Mountain bikes for mountain bikers. The vast experience brought by founder Chris Cocalis, who previously started Titus bikes 13 years ago, is clearly evident. The thing which I like about Pivot is that their predominant focus is developing high end dual suspension bikes. Like many great US and Canadian MTB companies they concentrate mainly on the MTB market, and these guys ride and test internally. The influence of Pivot’s Phoenix Arizona base can be suspected as the bike feels like it is built to handle challenging rocky drops and proper mountain biking, not just open fire roads. When a full suspension bike can feel good in various terrains, and push you to want to challenge yourself with the lines you take, you know you have a sweet ride.

Frame To put it straight out there, the highlight of this bike for me has to be the tried and tested DW link suspension. This suspension just works so good, the efficiency reminds me of riding my old Turner 6 years ago but with a further fifteen years technology on top of it. Pivot has nailed it for pedal efficiency with next to no pedal bob or squat when hammering the flats and climbs. The bike begs you to get out the saddle and try hammer down those XT cranks as hard as you can. For me the choice for riding a 29er makes riding easier, softer, and soaks up the rough stuff with ease, saving energy to ride longer and harder. The test bike frame was stealth black and seems like it would be pretty durable and not mark as easily as some carbon frames. I like the solidness of the frame and has some real tough looking pivots, bearings and the carbon rocker surrounded with some bling red anon parts make for an ascetically pleasing frame. The Mach 429 frame is made from hydroformed 6000 series aluminum tubing and 3D hollow aluminum forgings leading to a strengthened grain of the alloy. Although it does not turn out as the lightest bike in the pack, once I started riding it felt like I was back on a BMX and certainly didn’t feel heavy under my bum and rolled smoothly. Guys who ride in soft sand may want to watch the sand build up around the lower bearings as it does tend to suck sand and create a nice ledge for granules it to sit. The cockpit is nice and tight, well suited to putting the bike low into singletrack corners. The cornering was good for a 29er, and was not far off the capabilities of a 26er bursting out of the corners with minimal flex and transferring the power well. I did find the front end doesn’t pop as easy as other bikes, could be due to the fairly longer chainstay length, but this has its pro’s and con’s. Along fast rooty tracks where you might need quick front end lifts, I found myself just floating over obstacles with little effort. The handling tracks well with the 120mm CTD fork and goes where you point the bars, and although is probably not as nibble as a 100mm fork, but then you compromise the all mountain aspect of this bike.

Spec’s Pivot Mach429 Pro is one of the better spec’ed alloy bikes. I liked the fact that it has FSA carbon bars and post. With mostly XT components you know it’s a solid build topped with some carbon bling. The new XTR dyna-sys rear derailleur shifts 100’s with the ability to hinder chain slap. The thru-axles bolts on the front and rear makes for a stiff ride adding to better overall ride. I had a few punctures and changing the rear tube was as quick as with a QR release. The added stiffness and knowing your wheel is locked in, is a winner. Along with the Kashima Fox shocks, it looks the part with gold sanctions and I found the soft and firm adjustment did its job. I played with the rear shock settings whilst riding and didn’t really feel like it changed much which is testimony to how good the suspension works.

I took out the bike on a rainy day and found the XT brakes precise, and questioning why someone would pay for XTR brakes unless you are a weight weenie. Also threw it off some drop-offs which it handled well, but needed to centre weight a little further back to keep the front end up. I didn’t feel like the 100mm rear bottomed out and was deceptively plush in areas. Although the Stans ZTR Crest wheelset did untrue on the rear, you can’t really go past the quality of STAN’s rims and hubs for durability (not too sure if these are stock wheels). The 2.2 Kenda Slant tyres rolled well and stuck like glue to the dirt especially when climbing loose technical gradients, which was probably more down to the superior suspension. As far as things I would upgrade down the line are really little petty things: ESI grips to soak up vibrations, saddle of choice as WTB Volt is not for everyone- and that’s it really. The bottom-line price of $6099 with XT/XTR is what you are up for, unlike competitor’s bikes, begging for carbon bars and posts, etc. For an alloy bike it not the cheapest bike out there, but if you factor in spec’s, this bike can tick as many boxes as there is, no need for to two bikes. I believe it can handle aggressive terrain and can still mix it up on the less tech XC courses along with hopefully beating your mates to the top of the hill and down.

Verdict The bike feels as solid as a new Land Rover under you (which hopefully won’t leak oil). Although a little on the heavy side to race in the front pack, am positive it will get you through most XC or multiday stage races. Once you fling your leg over and start pedaling the efficiency and power transfer slaps you in the face over and over begging you to push harder in almost all area’s of the trail. There’s a lot of choice out there for bikes in different price brackets, but certainly throw the Pivot Mach 429 into the mix if you are looking for an all-rounder that climbs like a hardtail and descends like an AM bike. Personally would like to see some weight shredded on the frame somehow. If money wasn’t an object would love the carbon frame version with XX1.

Also note that the new Mach 429 carbon frame is now available, so if you got the cash to front up for the carbon model, I would consider the lighter faster option.

Rocky Mountain Element970 RSL 2014 review in AMB mag

For the past 2 years my life I have been entrenched in the outdoor and fitness technology world. Health gadgets and new fitness technology have boomed and working for Magellan has exposed me to all these awesome tech products that are cutting edge which ultimately aims at improving your fitness levels.

However todays post is going to be on my passion MTB bikes. I am lucky enough be supported by Rocky Mountain bikes and here is a recent bike review I wrote on the middle level Rocky Mountain Element 970RSL with all pictures taken by Lyndon Marceau which made the front cover of Australia's premuim MTB mag:AMB along with some behind the scence shots:

Bikes intrigue us cyclists, from the looks to the new moldings to the origin of the bike brand. When I think of Rocky Mountain bikes, the origin of the brand kind of tells the story. Canadian Rockies means core raw mountain biking, aggressive challenging trail riding to endless flowing single track and big rooty switchback climbs, to me this is encompassed by British Columbia. I have been lucky enough just to return from the BC bike race which spends 7 days riding through the home of Rocky Mountain, so I hope to accurately depict the capabilities of this bike from an educated view point.

The Element 950RSL is a bike which a privateer can ride with pride. Sporting a good solid build, without any over kills, you know that you have a spec’ed steed that will last and be affordable to replace down the line. With SLX brakes, shifters and front derailleur paired with XT rear derailleur, I found these more than adequate. The stopping power was as good as XT just not as smooth. The SLX rapid fire triggers snapped in place every time, jumping through the gears well. The Race face triple chain ring was something different for me as I haven’t ridden a triple ring for 5 years now, and although I’m coming from XX1, I found it no less of a regression. Knowing that not everyone has legs like Gripel, this setup suits all types of riding terrains, and is favored in British Columbia as makes the bike adaptable.

Another bonus is FOX’s CTD remote (which I found myself using as often as shifting the front ring), yes it’s a little ugly and cumbersome but I love the flick of the one switch to stiffen up the bike (front and rear suspension simultaneously) ensuring all your pedal power is being spent effectively. In “C” mode for climb the rear locks and the front stiffens for out of the saddle efforts. The rear suspension layout is dubbed by Rocky Mountain as “Smoothlink Suspension”, but to describe in laymen terms it neutralizes the chain tension so it doesn’t affect the suspension, allowing the suspension to remain active and supple whilst still hammering the pedals. The fairly short chainstay keeps the feeling of a sporty ride and giving the rear wheel good traction at all times.

The Shimano spec’s are common to most brands although Rocky Mountain pairs Race face components which very few brands use, and is a nice change. I can talk all day about spec’s and components but I believe the real bulk of this review should be on the frame and ride. The Element sets itself apart from the pack due to a frame geometry that really works. Rocky Mountain knows they have a winning geometry with this bike and I doubt they will be making too many changes for 2014. It’s evident the bike is built for speed, it translates pedal power so effectively and in corners it begs to be dropped lower and truly leaves the rider wanting to ride longer and harder. Targeted at the endurance XC rider wanting to take it a up a level, this bike is a definite KOM smasher and totally race worthy. Like it’s big brothers the Element 970RSL and 999RS, it sports a carbon front triangle, the only thing setting it apart frame wise is the 950RSL has an Alu rear triangle and honestly wouldn’t need too many upgrades to bling it out for race day, all I would suggest is a tubeless Stan’s wheelset , new tyres and saddle of choice along with some foam grips.

Another sweet addition for the more all mountain rider would be dropper post , which could be setup with the cable internally routed as the frame has provisioned for it. Apart from the rear brake all the cabling is internally routed which keeps the frame looking clean and sleek. The surprising quality about the Element is how well it climbs, but you just have to look at the frame to tell that it has great downhill capability and handles superbly through the technical sections. A flick of a switch to D (Descend) on the Fox CTD and your rear suspension opens up to a plush effective ride, finding yourself aiming your heels down, weight slightly behind the saddle, softly gripping the bars and pointing it over lines you never knew you were competent to choose on your xc bike and that’s when your smiling to the max. Your perception starts changing on where you point the bars and how far you look down the track giving yourself the competitive advantage of keeping your momentum and flow.

The debate of 26,27.5 and 29 seems irrelevant once you start riding an Element 29er, as it rolls over obstacles with ease and holds tight lines through the corners due to a fairly short top tube and a 15mm through axle hub coupled with a 12x142 rear through axle which stiffens it up nicely. The cockpit is compact and gives you a great feel of control on braking or downward pedal strokes. The bottom bracket does seem fairly low when shocks are fully open but I never experienced a problem. The Raceface handlebars come standard at 720mm and can be cut down with ease to suit the rider.

Conclusion: No doubt the market segment for the Element is for a XC rider/racer wanting to spend more hours in the saddle on a light weight responsive bike. But the 950RSL extends itself to large range of riders at a competitive price. I wouldn’t box it into a pure XC bike as is so much more capable than that, and feel that it can handle the most aggressive trails with ease and attacks with speed. As the Fox32 Float 100mm will inspire the most XC focused rider, I can only praise the Canadian based company for balancing a bike that ticks so many boxes all in one: speed, efficiency, comfort and performance.