Warburton Stage 2 Begins as Gilchrist Takes World Enduro Title
The big one: Warburton Stage 2 is off the ground
Warburton has been the "any year now" project for so long that plenty of riders stopped checking the updates. It's moving. Stage 2 kicked off on 26 October, and it isn't a token gesture — roughly 25 km of new trail is scheduled between now and mid-2028, on top of what's already been built.
The longer game is the ~160 km network the Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers have been pushing for. That's the sort of number that changes where people plan weekends, not just where they ride on a Sunday.
Gilchrist is world champ
Ryan Gilchrist took the men's elite UCI Enduro World Championship in Finale, Liguria. An Australian winning a world enduro title is not a small thing — it's the result that gets juniors onto enduro bikes instead of downhill sleds.
Smithfield is getting bigger
Queensland's Smithfield Mountain Bike Park is locked into an expansion — new riding, upgraded facilities, better event infrastructure. Draft trail-network designs went out for rider feedback this year, so if you ride there, keep an eye on the consultation rounds. Parks don't get better by accident. They get better when riders turn up to the meetings.
Trail builders had their own summit
The Victorian Sustainable Mountain Bike Trails Summit ran on 20 October, pulling together trail builders, land managers and clubs. Sounds dry? Only if you've never ridden a trail that was built badly. Good advocacy is the reason the Warburton numbers exist at all.
Enduro nats crowned in WA
WA hosted the 2026 national enduro championships, with titles decided and full results up on AusCycling. Western Australia quietly runs some of the more brutal racing in the country — sandy, loose, and unforgiving of a bad line choice.
What it means for your bike
More trail, more racing, more time on the bike. With summer coming, the cheapest performance gain is still your contact points — the three places your body actually touches the bike.
Sort your cockpit before summer
- WAKE Alloy Riser Handlebar — a wider bar settles the front end and gives you leverage on steep, loose chutes.
- Bucklos Lock-On Grips — seven colourways, lock-on so they don't spin on you mid-descent.
- ENLEE Enduro Flat Pedals — big platform, sealed bearings, built for the terrain Smithfield is about to get more of.
Browse the full MTB parts range. Free shipping Australia-wide, 30-day returns, 12-month warranty.
