I’VE KNOWN FRENCHIE FOR COMING UP TO 20 YEARS NOW AND I’VE ALWAYS BEEN AN AVID FOLLOWER OF THE ENDLESS LIST OF AMBITIOUS PROJECTS AND CONSTANT SUCCESSES THAT HAVE FORMED THE WEEK-TO-WEEK LANDSCAPE OF SIMON’S CAREER TO DATE. RECENTLY WE WERE CHATTING OVER A BEER, HAVING JUST DONE A COUPLE OF RUNS TOGETHER DOWN AT HIS MEGA MAYDENA BIKE PARK, AND HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT SOME OF THE PLANS THAT HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON FOR FUTURE. I REMEMBER SITTING THERE THINKING TO MYSELF, ‘THIS GUY IS A STRAIGHT UP VISIONARY!’ WHERE DOES ONE EVEN COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF SETTING OUT TO CREATE THEIR OWN WHISTLER BIKE PARK RIGHT HERE IN AUSTRALIA? AND THEN MORE TO THE POINT, HOW COULD ANYONE THEN HAVE THE BALLS TO ATTEMPT TO TURN THE IDEA INTO A REALITY? THIS GUY, THATS WHO. OF COURSE HOWEVER, SIMON’S JOURNEY TO THIS POINT HASN’T BEEN WITHOUT ITS FAIR SHARE OF GOOD ‘OL BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS, SACRIFICES AND STEEP LEARNING CURVES. AS YOU’RE ABOUT TO DISCOVER OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF PAGES, SIMON IS A SUPER PASSIONATE AND HIGHLY DRIVEN INDIVIDUAL. AT THE AGE OF JUST 35 HE HAS ALREADY BUILT HIMSELF A MOUNTAIN BIKE EMPIRE. BUT IF YOU ASK HIM, HE’S STILL FAR FROM DONE YET!
![Visionaries: The Simon French Journey So Far](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/12526/330831/5c650689419de/Visionaries-The-Simon-French-Journey-So-Far.jpg)
A lot of people reading this are probably familiar with your name ‘now’ but perhaps, probably, at least a portion of them might not be aware of the journey that you travelled throughout the MTB world leading up to the point where you’ve ultimately built an empire and created many of Australia’s biggest trail centres. And not to mention also building Australia’s biggest bike park, you actually started your MTB career as a rider and you raced for Australia on the Jr National DH team? Correct! I raced junior downhill way back in the day, winning the Sub Junior National Champs in 2000 and racing Junior World’s in 2001- the year Been Cory won in Colorado.
You came through the DH ranks in the same year as Sam and Cory and Hannah didn’t you mate? Clearly you had your work cut out for you to try and make a name for yourself with the field as stacked as that. That’s it, I grew up racing and hanging out with those guys and we’re all still good mates now. I loved racing but ultimately it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life (the competition was pretty tough too!). It was a great time to race though, I think things were a lot more laid back. It’d probably be safe to say that most of us weren’t training as hard as the juniors are now.
This story is from the Issue 53 2019 edition of Revolution MTB.
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This story is from the Issue 53 2019 edition of Revolution MTB.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![How To Whip How To Instructional](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12526/665628/60b8722c4c8d8/crp_HOW-TO-WHIPHOW-TO-INSTRUCTIONAL.jpg)
How To Whip How To Instructional
Have you heard the news? Australia’s hottest rising star on the gravity front, Dan Booker, has recently signed a deal to ride for nuke proof bikes’ with global support!
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Diaries Of A Professional Trail Fairy
Well hello, my name is Baxter and welcome to the first edition of my brand- new regular column right here in [R]evo Mag. Each issue I will be aiming to tell stories that give insight into the world of trail building as I see it.
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Rocky Mountain Instinct Carbon 70
If you’ve been following the mag over the years you’ll know that rocky mountain’s are a definite favourite amongst our staff here at [r]evo.
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PEAK AROUSAL
HERE HAS BEEN ONE KEY QUESTION WHICH ALWAYS INTRIGUES ME ABOUT ATHLETES AND HOW THEY PERFORM AT THEIR VERY BEST WHEN THE PRESSURE IS AT IT’S GREATEST, AND THAT IS, WHAT GETS THEM AMPED UP? WHAT GETS THEM INTO ‘THAT ZONE’ MENTALLY WHERE THEY’RE ABLE TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES AND NET THE BEST RESULTS?
![RAISING CHAMPIONS THE A'HERN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12526/665628/60b87d84b71dd/crp_RAISING-CHAMPIONS-AHERN.jpg)
RAISING CHAMPIONS THE A'HERN
LET’S MEET THE A’HERNS; THERE’S MUM AND DAD, OTHERWISE KNOWNS AS JEN AND NICK (A DUAL COMMONWEALTH GAMES GOLD MEDALIST AND TRIPLE OLYMPIAN IN HIS OWN RIGHT!) AND THEN THERE’S THE KIDS, BROTHER KYE (19) WHO’S A JUNIOR WORLD CHAMP AND MULTI-NATIONAL CHAMP, AND THEN OF COURSE THERE’S SISTER SIAN (22) WHO HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNISABLE FACES IN AUSTRALIA WOMAN’S CYCLING, A MULTIPLE-NATIONAL CHAMP AND OCEANIA CHAMP.
![THE BEST BRAKES ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW? GROUP TEST WITH NO DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION.](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12526/665628/60b882ce43a74/crp_THE-BEST-BRAKES-ON-THE-MARKET-RIGHT-NOW-GROUPTEST-WITH-NO-DEFINITIVE-CONCLUSION.jpg)
THE BEST BRAKES ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW? GROUP TEST WITH NO DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION.
ASK ANY RIDER AND THEY’LL ALMOST CERTAINLY TELL YOU OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS THAT MAKE UP A BIKE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS A SET OF BRAKES THAT PERFORM REALLY WELL AND MOST IMPORTANT ‘FEEL’ JUST RIGHT.
![SUPPLY CHAIN PAIN](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12526/665628/60b8745e272e7/crp_SUPPLY-CHAIN-PAIN.jpg)
SUPPLY CHAIN PAIN
A KIN TO A LOT OF YOU OUT THERE WE’VE RECENTLY FOUND OURSELVES SWINGING BY OUR LOCAL BIKE STORE TO STOCK UPON A FEW PARTS AHEAD OF OUR PLANNED TRAIL ADVENTURES, ONLY TO FIND, EMPTY RACKS AND SHELVES? IS THIS THE NEW VERSION OF LAST YEAR’S SUPERMARKET TOILET PAPER PANIC BUYING? WHERE HAVE ALL THE BIKES, BRAKE PADS, TIRES AND EVERYTHING ELSE GONE? WITH AROUND A 30% INCREASE IN BIKE SALES ACROSS AUSTRALIA (AND THE WORLD) DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS ALONE, BIKES HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT THE DOOR THE SAME DAY THAT THEY ARRIVE… WANT A NEW BIKE? GET READY TO WAIT. THIS TIME LAST YEAR THE PRE-ORDER WAITING LISTS FROM MOST BRANDS FOR POPULAR BIKES WAS AVERAGING 1-3 MONTHS, NOW, IT’S BLOWING OUT TO ANYWHERE FROM 6 MONTHS TO A FULL YEAR! IT’S CRAZY. IT’S SCARY. IT SUCKS. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE BIKE INDUSTRY IS ON OUR SIDE AND BRANDS ARE DOING THEIR VERY BEST RIGHT NOW TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO TURN IT AROUND.
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INDUSTRY AU
IN THIS EDITION OF INDUSTRY.AU WE’RE CHECKING IN WITH ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S LATEST AND MOST EXCITING COMPONENT FABRICATORS WHO ARE PRODUCING SOME REALLY INTERESTING AND INNOVATIVE GEAR FROM THEIR ADELAIDE WORKSHOP.
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PIVOT 2021
WHEN IT COMES TO PICKING YOUR NEXT DREAM BIKE IN A PACKAGE THAT PERFECTLY SUITS THE STYLE OF RIDING THAT YOU LOVE MOST, YOU REALLY ARE GOING TO FIND YOURSELF UTTERLY SPOILT FOR CHOICE WITH PIVOT’S LATEST OFFERINGS.
![AUS CYCLING 2021 DH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/12526/665628/60b877580c149/crp_AUS-CYCLING-2021-DH-NATIONAL-CHAMPIONSHIP.jpg)
AUS CYCLING 2021 DH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
FOLLOWING THE CRAZY YEAR OR CONFUSION AND CANCELATIONS THAT WAS 2020, THE VIBE FOR THIS YEAR’S AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL DOWNHILL MTB CHAMPS WAS ALL ABOUT A ‘NEW YEAR, NEW ME’ ATTITUDE. FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME WE GOT TO SEE THE COUNTRY’S BEST GRAVITY RIDERS BATTLING FOR NATIONAL TITLES AT THE ULTIMATE VENUE FOR SUCH AN EVENT, MAYDENA!