World Cup wrap up

A huge thanks to everyone who came and saw us at last weekend's MTB World Cup!
Despite the pretty miserable weather yesterday, we had a great weekend, and met up with a huge range of folks from around the country and the world. If you didn't manage to grab a brochure or flyer, check out our website for info on our hire fleet, rates and tour options for schools, corporates and small groups.
Of course, a big shout out to CORC for putting on such a top event. Running a UCI World Cup is no small undertaking, but the club - with most members working on a voluntary basis to boot - pulled it off with absolute professionalism, and (apparent) ease.

Elite DH Finals: UCI MTB World Cup, Stromlo

With the rain continuing steadily throughout the day, conditions for the Elite Downhill at the World Cup seemed went from bad to worse.
While the rain washed away much of the dust that has plagued Stromlo since it was built, and provided much-needed stickiness for some of the bigger corners, it also turned many of the rock gardens treacherously greasy, with thick mud slowing most riders to a virtual crawl on the home straight.
In the end, it was South Africa's Greg Minnarr who managed to overcome the heavy track, finishing in 2:41:34, with our own Nathan Rennie coming in second place at 2:46:02, and the UK's Gee Atherton in third 2:47:00.
For the women, Tracey Moseley's visit to Stromlo in January paid dividends, with the Brit finishing first at 3:10:43, followed by fellow country(wo)man Rachel Atherton at 3:14:51, and former champion, Sabrina Jonnier, in third at 3:14:66.

Top 10 Elite Men
1. MINNAAR Greg 2:41.34
2. RENNIE Nathan 2:46.02
3. ATHERTON Gee 2:47.00
4. BAREL Fabien 2:47.64
5. KOVARIK Chris 2:48.38
6. NEETHLING Andrew 2:48.67
7. PEAT Steve 2:48.78
8. RANDO Jared 2:49.19
9. ATKINSON Bryn 2:49.39
10. BLENKINSOP Samuel 2:50.01

Top 10 Elite Women
1. MOSELEY Tracy 3:10.43
2. ATHERTON Rachel 3:14.51
3. JONNIER Sabrina 3:14.66
4. GRIFFITHS Fionn 3:23.90
5. RAGOT Emmeline 3:24.41
6. MACLEOD Sheryl 3:24.85
7. SUEMASA Mio 3:24.92
8. GASKELL Helen 3:26.57
9. PUGIN Floriane 3:27.49
10. MOLCIK Anita 3:30.97

A slippery start for the downhill finals at MTB World Cup

Following a night of slow, steady drizzle, the Stromlo downhill course has gone from dry and dusty to slick, sketchy and super slippery.
Still, that didn't slow down riders in this morning's semi-finals, with international favourites Tracey Moseley, Rachel Atherton and Sabrina Jonnier (above) posting the top three fastest times in the Elite Womens category. Racing against the world's very best, local riders Caroline Buchannan and part-time Capital Bicycle Hire guide Claire Whiteman finished in 10th and 14th places respectively, with our good mate Leigh Douglas coming 19th.
Greg Minaar, Steve Peat and Australia's Nathan Rennie took out the top three times for the Elite Men, with a big field of 65 riders set to make for fast and furious final later this afternoon.
We'll post results for the finals - which begin here at 2pm - as soon as we've got 'em.

Mens XC Results (Round 8): Stromlo Forest Park, Australia

Well, don't say you didn't hear it here first - less than two hours after race finish, here's the official Top 10  results of the Elite Mens Cross Country at the Round 8 of the Nissan Mountain Bike World Cup: 

1. Ralph Naef, 1:45:28

2. Jose Antonio Hermida Ramos, 1:45:44

3. Geoff Kabush, 1:46:56

4.  Florian Vogel, 1:46:15

5. Todd Wells, 1:47: 14

6. Burry Stander, 1:47:58

7. Roel Paulissen, 1:49:01

8. Nino Schurter, 1:49:06

9. Marco Aurelio, 1:49:09

10. Chris Jongewaard, 1:49:35

Amazing to see this level of racing come to Canberra - these blokes move quick, real quick, so a special congratulations to Chris Jongewaard (pictured above) for a fantastic effort. 

For full results via the official UCI page, click here. 

Womens XC Elite Results: Live from Stromlo!

In case you weren't able to make it, here's the official results of this morning's Elite Womens XC Race (31kms):

1. Irnia Kalentieva, 1:39:34

2. Rosara Joseph, +0:00:53

3. Catherine Pendrel, +0:00:59

4. Tereza Hurikova, +0:01:10

5. Mary McConneloug, +0:03:29

6. Blaza Klemencic, +0:05:49

7.  Jodie Willett, +0:08:02

8. Katherine  O'Shea, +0:11:15

9. Zoe King, +0:11:37

10. Joanna Wall, 0:012:29

Another fine result for the Aussies, taking out places six through 10!

For full results via the offical UCI page, click here. 

World Cup comes to Canberra

Wow, the World Cup - sorry, the Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup sponsored by Shimano - has certainly arrived in Canberra, with Stromlo now looking like a small town, and not just a tent city.
We missed much of the setup after we headed to Queensland to ride this year's Cycle Epic, but on arriving back in Canberra on Tuesday, were amazed at the huge numbers of bike boxes and related equipment being wheeled towards the rental car agencies.
Since then, there's been no shortage of signs that the World Cup circus has well and truly arrived in town - perhaps none more so than the two $8,000+ GT DHI Pros parked outside the front of the local Woolworths supermarket?
Capital Bicycle Hire will be at the event from tomorrow - look for our marque in the village, and come and say g'day.

Beijing today, Canberra tomorrow

If you want to see a frantic schedule, look no further than the world's best mountain bikers, and the staff that support them. From the Olympics in Beijing this week, to the World Cup in Canberra the next, there's barely a break before getting off one plane, and back onto another.
By all accounts, it's going to be a heck of a weekend. Already, there's a stack of tents and marquees set up at Stromlo, and the media machine is cranked up to 11, with television, print and radio ads, and a static display at Canberra's largest shopping centre.
There's no doubt that the World Cup will be the biggest test yet for CORC, but if their management of previous events (like the 2008 Nationals, above) is anything to go by, the World Cup will go precisely to plan. It'll all be good, but highlights will have to be the cross-country and downhill finals, with a huge crowd expected to line the mountain for the latter.
We're hoping to be at Stromlo for the duration of the event, so if you're heading out, don't forget to stop by and say g'day. We'll have a limited number of our bikes available, and, pending event regulations, we may be able to help if you're keen to check out the course from a rider's perspective.

Warming up, uphill style

With most people now well and truly over winter for another year, the countdown to spring - and the best time for riding in Canberra - begins.
But for all the frost, fog and freezing cold winter brings, it's actually not such a bad time to ride, so long as you do it in the afternoon. We headed out to Stromlo Forest Park on Saturday and Sunday, with awesomely clear, sunny skies on both days, and not a breath of wind.
Even at 2pm, it's a chilly start, but you warm up quickly, especially at Stromlo, where most of the trails head upwards from the start. Thankfully, the climb is fairly graduated with switchbacks aplenty, and before you know it, you're rewarded with awesome views across Canberra to the city and beyond (see above; taken at the top of Stromlo during last year's 24 Hour).
However, super fit and insanely good uphill lovers will be happy to hear that CORC has recently finished building a double-black diamond climb on the front face of Stromlo. It's been constructed especially for those professionals competiting in the 2008 World Cup cross-country race, but is open to everyday riders before and after the event.
If you're planning to ride it, just note those two black diamonds - and don't say we didn't warn you...

What we mean by 'quality' bike hire

One of the most common questions we hear at Capital Bicycle Hire is "tell me about the bikes I can hire - are they any good?"
First, all our bikes for hire are late model, mid to high level hardtail and fully-suspended mountain bikes. At the moment, we're running Norco Wolverines, Nitros, EXC-2s (which Pete is riding above) and the Fluid 2. We reckon they provide predictable handling, solid componentry and the quality required for day in, day out use. And no, Norco doesn't pay us to say that...
Second, all our bikes are serviced in-house (most of use are ex-bike mechanics) on a monthly basis. We're big believers in preventative maintenance, and know that even the most minor problem can ruin a ride, so we check (and adjust, if required) every bike before and after every time it goes out.
Third, we don't just thrown any bike to anyone. We'll talk to you about how long you've ridden, where you want to ride, your particular riding style and any other considerations (height, weight, etc.) to make sure that your bike fits you properly.
And we do all this at a price which we think is fair, reasonable and very competitive.
The end result is that we're confident in saying that Capital Bicycle Hire is the only option if you're looking for quality bicycle hire in Canberra.

Dont forget our main site...

Although we'll be using this blog to let you know the latest from CBH - including rides, hire rates and tour options - don't forget to check out our main site at www.capitalbicyclehire.com.au
We're in the process of updating everything, but even so, you can still find info on our hire fleet, our tours around Canberra and happy snaps from some of our previous rides.

Welcome to the CBH Blog!

G'day, and welcome to the first post of the new Capital Bicycle Hire blog!
We'll be using the blog to let you know the latest news, happenings and info from CBH, and equally, we encourage you to get involved - feel free to comment and let us know what you want to see up here.
Aside from the blog and some mods to the website, things are starting to get busy for CBH as we gear up for the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, being held 30-31 August at Stromlo. In the world of cycling, hosting a World Cup round is indeed a 'very big thing', so we'll be assisting the Canberra Off-Road Cyclists (CORC) to help make the event the best it can be.
CORC did a terrific job with the 2008 Australian Nationals (see pic above), and we've every confidence they'll be doing the same - or better - in a couple of weeks. If you're in Canberra, and into cycling, it's something you won't want to miss.