annika smail: dh race - watching only

05 January 2009

dh race - watching only

Yesterday I went to watch the first round of the national downhill series in Rotorua to support the boys (Rob and Mike), admire some great riding skills and socialize. It was stunning weather after the rain the day and night before which made it perfect for spectating and racing (other then being a little hot under all the protective gear). The boys did really well despite a few crashes in the seeding run due to the wet (slightly boggy) track and wanting to go a little too fast (race nerves?). Mike ended up winning the masters class (he looked well smooth), Rob got a 5th which is wicked for his first proper dh race! Gabby Molloy made an amazing 2nd place in pro elite, she looked wicked zooming down her dh track. It was a great racing weekend, looking forward to the next Rotorua round in 2 weeks!

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bio trace products i use and why

I have started taking Elete Electrolytes Liquid sometime in May 08 as I have had ongoing issues with overheating when racing (it's not a very pleasant feeling to be shivering while actually being too hot and struggling with keeping balance while trying to stay on the bike and single track). I find the Elete Electrolytes Liquid and tablets great for hydration before, during and after training and racing as it is free of sugar and sweeteners and seems to get absorbed easily by the body and I haven't had any more issues with overheating (even in Napa Valley racing in 35+ degrees).
In addition I have taken Concentrated Mineral Drops (CMD) to ensure my body gets all the necessary minerals.

I have recently switched to taking Electrolyte Stamina Tablets instead of Elete & CMD, and they seems to keep me going really well, I find I recovery very well from training and racing even when I push my body hard. I use Elete for racing and on longer training sessions to help with hydration still.

I have been struggling with tendinitis and tennis elbow from having done a bit much training on the single speed through winter (from soaking up the bumps on the hard tail and pulling on the handlebars too much on the steep climbs), Ultimate Bone and Joint Tablets have helped easy the pain and inflammation majorly!

To give my body the extra assistance for training and racing am also taking Max Stress B Nano-Plex & DHLA Nano-Plex. These products support my body through the long and intense training weeks.

ULTIMATE Bone & Joint and Quantum Nucleotide Complex to help my body recovery after some hard racing.

If you are so unfortunate to come off your bike, like i have done myself, then you will want to be able to get back on your feet and bike as soon as possible. i have found that what speeds up the recovery after a crash are: ULTIMATE Bone & Joint (especially if there was quite an impact) and Element Zinc (if there is some damage to your skin eg gravel rash/burn) both these products will no doubt speed up the healing process.

for more information click this link

my bikes

my favourite ones:

santa cruz trc

my new favourite!! it's so fast and nimble, stable and sooooo much fun!! :)

Shimano XT 10 speed build with Fox Kashima Forks

plus the new wheels are the bomb! they are Easton EC90 carbon wheels.

santa cruz blur ltc

and that one was even better, i could not believe it but it was!

santa cruz blur lt

man it's fast and so much fun...

Fox 32 Float 15mm QR forks
Hope Pro 2/Stans Race wheels
Gravity dropper of course
Gripshifters and sram mech’s
Avid Juicy Ultimate brakes
Salsa flat bars

my last bike was a santa cruz nomad, which rode amazingly but i decided the blur lt was going to be a better all round bike as it is a little lighter and still has plenty of travel. it is therefore suited for racing as well as being a play bike.

santa cruz chameleon

best hard tail i have ever riden!

Fox 32 Float’s
Single speed ratio 29-15 (at the moment)
Gravity dropper post
Salsa 660mm flat carbon bar and bar ends
(see picture at bottom of page)

santa cruz roadster

my roady does get quite neglected as i do prefere riding the trails, but how could you not with the trails we have here in Rotorua?

i have also owned a blur classic - what an awesome bike and very competitive, managed to get 14th at Fort William World Cup 06 and had so much fun through the technical stuff. (see the black bike in slide show)

the bike after the classic was a blur xc - it's a nice little light race bike, very responsive and super fast and also a lot of fun through more technical trails. (it's the orange bike in the slide show)

i have also borrowed a heckler for a couple of weeks. this is a very handy play bike, it will get you up and down pretty much any trail with a smile on your face.

santa cruz bullit

i was so fortunate that i have been able to borrow and test ride a couple of different bullits for shuttle runs of the jumps track and dh course. they either had boxxers or fox 40, both forks felt mint as! the bike rides great, super plush, easy to handle and move around. it makes a wicked shuttle bike but also a great trail bike depending on the setup and componentry.

tires i use

most of the time i ride Maxxis Advantage tires (2.1). they are great for all year round trail riding, they have plenty of grip but you can also let them slide you through corners and know that they will grip again, wicked fun :)

for racing i use Maxxis CrossMark tires (2.1) as they have still plenty of grip but are lighter and faster rolling. a great tire especially for hardpacked or little more rocky trails.

the DH tire i used for me few downhill runs where Maxxis Minion (2.5), they have so much grip and still role very fast! - in the dry.

annika smail

05 January 2009

dh race - watching only

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SSWC08 napa valley

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