Mountain Bike Coaching Brisbane

Wild Bear MTB — post‑race wrap from Serbia.
Four days of stage racing taught me more about bike setup, nutrition and reading rough gravel than any single ride at home.
Highlights I want Brisbane riders to note:
• Tyres matter — big‑knob front for grip, lighter rear for speed (I’d run Aspen AT front / Recon Race rear next time).
• Pack spares: brake pads, AXS battery, chain links and a pump saved us time.
• Hydration strategy: 2L pack with ~90g carb mix + strategic aid‑station. A first for me in Coke working late in long hot stages.
• Tech helped — Sram Flight Attendant smoothing climbs and descents made a real difference.
• Expect loose, sharp crushed‑stone gravel and long exposed climbs — practice leaning the bike and picking lines.
If you’re preparing for multi‑day events (or just want to level up your skills), these are practical adjustments any rider can make.
Ready to translate race lessons into better trail riding around Brisbane? See the full breakdown for gear, nutrition and course tips: https://wix.to/gjoOVie

What setup would you try first — bigger front tyre or different hydration? and would you be game to take on a multi day stage race?
Share below. 🐻🚴‍♂️

Wild Bear Post Race wrap up 🐻 Wild Bear MTB Stage Race — Post‑Race Wrap‑Up Four days of racing in Serbia delivered everything we hoped for: challenge, adventure, new friendships, and a serious dose of international stage‑race reality. Here’s the full equipment, nutrition, terrain and logistics breakdown from the t...

Wild Bear MTB Stage Race — Serbia

Day 4 and the final stage done — four hard days on the bike, and we’re stoked to finish in 4th place with Graham Menzies.
G-Man not only conceived the idea of taking this on, but raced with me every day, bringing the laughs and high spirits that kept the whole trip rolling. Couldn’t have asked for a better teammate.

and Anouk Engstrom showed huge grit, lining up each day even though injury meant they couldn’t complete the full event. I’m proud of all three riders here with me — the effort, resilience, and spirit have been inspiring.

Massive thanks to the organisers for making us feel welcome and for bringing this event to life. The trails, the atmosphere, and the people have made Serbia unforgettable.

Thanks also for all the support from back home. We could feel your cheering from here.

I will work on a post race insight on racing the Wild Bear 🐻 in the coming days for those interested. It’s a Wild Ride.

Missing all our mountain biking friends back home. How did the Epic 2026 go? Post pics. 😢

Queen Stage today in the Wild Bear Stage race in Serbia.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc3Oq1xIPNJ/?igsi=aDZoOWtwN2k3cHBx

Before the start, we asked you what you expected from Stage 2. Soon, we’ll find out how it really was. 🔥

Wild Bear MTB Stage Race Stage Race in Serbia, Stage 2, the queen stage.
It took all we could muster for the 60km and ~2450m of elevation.
I’ve never been one to bring up hills but today G and I ground up several. A tough day on the bike but man it felt great to pull it off.
The trails here are so rocky that it’s so hard to keep momentum on your side and you have to pay attention which is mentally draining as well as physically.

One more day of racing tomorrow and with 3 big days already in our legs anything could happen, but we think we have the 47k and ~1500m of climbing in hand… (Famous last words! 🤷🏼‍♂️)
😁

Disappointed for the girls having to pull out at 30k today due to 🔥 foot issues but they have been doing so well and will be back tomorrow to finish what they started.

Giant Brisbane Maxxis Bike Australia Joe's No Flats kwtimports kwt_imports kwtkrew infinitenutrition ovalrevolution gooval OvalThis absoluteBLACK OVALREVOLUTION

Wild Bear Stage 1 is done. 1388m of elevation and 56km. Long climbs and some pinches for good measure. I even saw a 26% grade come up on the Garmin. 😳 Temps maxed out at 35 deg on one open climb but in the forest it was more in the high 20’s.
Nutrition went well. ✅
Bike never missed beat✅
G-Man dieseled all day. ✅
A few sketchy corners in their chunky gravel, but we carved up the single track descents.
The girls did a stunning time to still be on top of the podium 😉
Afternoon massage again (what ever helps!)
Post race dinner was at a ski resort (but it’s not ski season) but so many laughs with this crew and probably the best meal we have had here yet.

The race organisers have been fantastic, nothing is a problem and the event has been so well organised. No wonder the race has riders from 34 different countries.

Tomorrow is the queen stage. ~60km and just shy of 2000m of climbing. Let’s hope we can back it up for days 3!

Thanks for the support:
Giant Brisbane Maxxis Bike Australia Joe's No Flats kwt_imports kwtkrew infinitenutrition ovalrevolution gooval OvalThis absoluteBLACK OVALREVOLUTION

Prolog ✅ done.
Now we prepare for stage 1.
✅rehydrate.
✅protein for recovery.
✅refill the tank with some carbs
✅prep the bikes for tomorrow
✅afternoon massage
✅a good nights sleep (sort of, jet lag is real 🤪

Let’s do this.

Mountain bike Stage racing in Serbia.

Giant Brisbane Maxxis Bike Australia Joe's No Flats kwtimports kwt_imports kwtkrew infinitenutrition ovalrevolution gooval OvalThis absoluteBLACK OVALREVOLUTION

WildBear mountain bike Serbia Prolog done. ✅ Just paced ourselves through it knowing what is coming over the next 3 days.
Impromptu post race interviews incoming.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcyDzpOILfp/?igsi=MTZuMjM5MXB4NXhiOQ==

Just raw thoughts. Not dressed up. Just the first day of 4 with a prologue. @alirmen @anoukeng @mountainbikecoachingbrisbane

Stay tuned for race updates later this week!