9. For getting dirty

I love the feeling of riding off road: away from traffic, amongst the trees. Just you, your bike and the ups, downs and flow of the trail. What better way to live in the moment.

A mountain bike should feel like an extension of your body: light, responsive, natural. A bike that's designed for women takes into account things that often make the female anatomy different: shorter torso, narrower shoulders, smaller hands. Angles are adjusted, handlebars aren't so wide, brake levers easier to grab, crank length shorter and even the suspension can be dialled differently.

Scott have taken all these elements and shaped them into the Contessa series of bikes, which includes road and mountain bikes. The Scale RC is a carbon fibre hardtail that doesn't compromise on componentry. Meaning you don't compromise your ride.



> Available through AvantiPlus dealers

It's raining.

Again. What a long winter we've had! I'm here at work, but what I feel like doing is riding trails and getting all muddy.

Sunny afternoon forest ride

What better thing to do on a sunny Sunday afternoon than explore a forest by mountain bike. This forest is one of the Barossa's hidden gems here in South Australia. The ride was just right for an afternoon sojourn: carefree, breezy and full of laughs.

The best part was the Silentium sparkling shiraz consumed afterwards. Now that's perfect.

girls that rock!

These girls are a great inspiration for anyone who loves to pedal.

Niki Gudex // Pro MTB rider, graphic designer & model. This Sydney-based global citizen is smart, creative and rides like the wind whether it's downhill, XC, on the road or cruising the urban landscapes.
www.nikigudex.com

Jill Kintner // Another arty-sporty chick who's got Olympic bronze in BMX, three World Championship titles in the MTB discipline of 4X, two World Cup series championships, heaps of World Cup, national titles and Norba series championship wins... This woman is driven, creative and uber cool.
www.jillkintner.com

Jayne Rutter // This is a girl who jumped on a bike and hasn't looked back! She's super fit, races XC, downhill and 4X and has just been sponsored by Team Banshee Australia.
www.jaynerutter.com

Anna Meares // Possibly the fastest woman ever to pedal a bike. A down-to-earth champion hailing from regional Queensland, Anna rides with passion, is an amazing strategist, can read her opponents, has had amazing recovery from injury, and has shown again and again what it's like to win (and on the rare occasion, not win!) with grace. Along with her sister, Kerrie, Anna is truly an inspiration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Meares

> more to come!