29" MTB wheels? Yes!

This was the question, and now I have answered it.  Although I am not 'super short' (approx 161cm), there was always the worry in the back of my mind that maybe 29" wheels would not be suitable.  I had read lots of reviews of bikes for women, particularly Specialized 29" vs Giant 650B, and although both had benefits, I was more and more tempted by the leap to 29" wheels.

Part of my decision was helped along by Marianne (from http://dutchielovescycling.tumblr.com ).  She (probably unknowingly) helped me take the plunge and buy the Fate.  Marianne had nothing but good words to say about the bike, and fortunately she also recommended me to a really good Specialized mountain bike dealer.  Having previously helped out at a bike shop, and looked at many others in the past, I know what makes a good bike shop, with great customer service, and staff who really know their products.

My favorite bike shops (by Steve at Crankstar, and Shayne and Pip at Semiracer) are road-specific... so I was obliged to go elsewhere to buy a new bike for the dirt.  In the end, I couldn't have landed at a nicer place.  Bicycle Riders Morningside (BRM) now also has my big 'tick of approval'.  They were incredibly helpful while I made my decision, without being pushy at any stage.  Simon could easily answer all my questions about the different bike options and extras, and had lots of additional helpful tips also.  He is also very well trained at bike fitting (a credit to both the body geometry fit (bgfit) system and Simon's own eagerness to learn more about what makes a good fit).

I am now even happier than I thought I would be with the bike.
The Fate is a dream to ride, light weight and responsive.  The 29" wheels definitely do roll much better over obstacles than my old 26" bike.  I did splash out on carbon tubeless wheels, to reduce the weight of the bike, and to gain stiffer, faster rolling, precise wheels.  Definitely worth every cent.
More about BRM...
http://www.bicycleriders.com.au
More about the Roval wheels...
http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/bikes-gear/specialized-s-innovative-roval-control-29-carbon-wheels-tested

Tale of two George's and a Broun...

Wanna improve your cycling?  Learn from the best.  I currently have the enviable position of being able to gain lots of cycling knowledge from three of Australia's best coaches... each of them unique in their coaching styles, and all with a wealth of experience.

- Steve George @ Crankstar

My "training program" coach.  Steve's the guy who tells me what to do, day after day, week after week.  He stops me before I start overtraining, but lets me know when I need to go harder.  Steve encouraged me to start weights at the gym late last year when I was concerned that this might not be the right thing to do.  Steve also picked up on the fact that my cranks were the wrong length, and quickly changed me over to 165mm ones.  Now 5 months later, I can see how the weights, and more core strength exercises and stretching, along with the shorter cranks, and my regular on-the-bike training, has really improved my power and my ability to spin.

- Rob George @ Roadie Rob's Bicycle School

My MTB skills coach.  Rob's the coach who can tell you how to ride a bike, without you even realising he's teaching you stuff.  Having self-taught myself how to ride a bike in my early 20's, I have never had the skills that people have when they've started riding as a small child.  Lesson for the future: if you have kids, get 'em on a bike as soon as possible!  Rob has a huge knowledge base from his days as a world cup downhill racer, and from many, many years of teaching students around the Gap Creek trails (Brisbane) and knows exactly how to make difficult trails seem super easy.

- Kirsty Broun @ Kirsty Broun Cycling

My road bike skills coach.  Several months ago I did not realise the benefit of improving some of my skills on the road bike.  Sure, my MTB skills are in constant need of improvement, but not my road bike skills... ?  After just a few sessions with Kirsty, I have also come to understand that cornering, unclipping with different feet, using different hands to grab water bottles, bumping shoulders with other riders, and many other on-the-bike skills are often taken for granted. I realise now that a lot of stuff that I was doing on the bike was "adequate" but not really done "properly".  And similar to being shown the right line on a MTB trail with Roadie Rob, Kirsty has really opened my eyes to the skills we should all have to ride (and race) more safely and confidently on the road.  In particular, being there to see Kirsty coach some groups of cyclists over the Easter weekend was an eye-opening and rewarding experience.