Logan Horn

Information

Age: 16
Sponsorship: Cross Country MTB
Season Goals: Top 3 placing in the South Island cup U19 & top 5 at NZ National Championships U19. Selection into NZ team for Oceanias Championships and World Championships.
Other sports interests: Running, Duathlons and Soccer.
Best results: 1st Oceania MTB championships U17 XC & hill climb 2008, 1st Round 3 South Island Cup 2009, 1st U19 South Island MTB Cup 2009.
Favourite ride/ tracks: Crater Rim - Port Hills, Vulcaniser - Omihi, Blow Hard track, Rotorua MTB tracks.
Average weekly training/riding: Winter 7 to 8hrs a week over winter with road riding. Running once a week and soccer two times a week. Summer 10 to 12hrs a week road and mountain biking.
My Bikes: Giant TCR C1 road bike, Giant XTC C0 Carbon Hardtail, 2009 Giant XTC Advanced SL.

Race Reports

Hamner Hammerhead 6th December 2009

This race is always a fun one with lots of single track. I had heard that it had a lot of climbing in it and it was going to hurt. I had recovered well and was feeling good after yesterday’s festival of cycling race. The start went along a gravel road for a while which turned into a killer of a climb. All along the road there were attacks. It was quite fierce. But I was managing fine. The real hill sorted the men from the boys, or should I say the boys from the men. It was me then Anton to the top of the hill first. I slowed it down in the single track to rest as no one could pass. On the next short hill Anton attacked and I got on his wheel. We pulled away from the others fast. I held onto Anton for the first lap but he was just too quick and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay with him forever. He put the gas on near the top of the first hill on the second lap. I wanted to save my energy so I just rode at my own pace. It stayed like this for the rest of the race. Anton won and I was second. I was very pleased with my race and how I was feeling especially after yesterday’s race.

Festival of Cycling 5th December 2009

This year the festival of cycling held a MTB race. The course was on the port hills, so a home track advantage for the Christchurch crew. The event attracted a lot of hot competition. Some of NZ's best MTB riders from all around the country. There was a long road section at the start and at the end. The race split up on Rapaki. I was left back in 6th place and not feeling too good on the climb. At the top I rested as much as I could in the first piece of single track. After I had recovered I was feeling good. I was working to hold off Kashi who was behind me and catch Brad Tilby who was in front. I caught Brad in the next section of single track and rode with him and Kashi on the next climb. I went hard at the top and sprinted to get into the single track first. This was the last bit of single track that took us all the way to the bottom. On the single track I pulled away from the other two. At the bottom I was lucky enough to join a road bunch finishing the long bays race. They weren't going fast enough to begin with so I attacked them and they speed up. With 500m to go I saw 4th place just ahead of me. It was too late to catch him. He beat me by only a few seconds. If I knew he was there earlier I may have taken out 4th but I had to settle with 5th which was a good result for me and I am happy with.

Longbeach Classic 29th November 2009

This was the 3rd year this race was held and the 3rd year I had raced it. It was good that nearly the whole pushbikes team got there this year. I was the only one the last 2 years. I was feeling good about this race as it was flattish and at the moment that is suiting me more than long hills. I had a mean start and Anton and I found ourselves of the front in the first 1km. Then, to my great surprise I pulled away from Anton. I thought, "This is the 1st time I have been out off the front of a race this season." so I went for it. My solo effort didn't last long as a bunch of 3 formed behind me and I thought it was better to wait for them. This bunch soon turned into a pushbikes team time trial of Brent, Anton and me. Anton then decided he had had enough and made a break through the main river crossing. A combination of low tire pressures and light weight meant he glided over the soft stones that Brent and I sunk into. By the other side we had all spread out. Anton with the biggest gap over me then back to Brent. I decided to go after Anton on my own instead of waiting for Brent. I eventually caught Anton which was very pleasing for me. But I didn't get any rest before he started attacking me on every corner and hill. I couldn't keep this pace up and Anton dropped me. I took it easy for a bit to get my breath back as I was having trouble taking in deep breaths?!? Then I settled into my own rhythm. I was feeling good, a little too good and I was finding it hard to push myself harder. So with about 5-7km to go Brent caught me back up along with Kyle Wood (Timaru pinner). We all worked together well along the final flat roads to the finish. I had just finished my turn at the front and was lapping out when we approached a huge ford, with water up to my handle bars. I hit it with more pace than the others and had a couple of wheel lengths on them by the end of it. I thought that this was my chance to go. I got a good gap on them and maintained it down the road. I increased this gap going through the river once again. This meant I had second place behind Anton in the bag. I was very pleased with my race and how I felt at the end. I felt fresh. My combination of Maxxis Crossmark (front) and Maxxis Larson (rear) provided great grip on the damp grass and were still very fast on the gravel road sections. Both factors lead me to a 2nd place overall and in the juniors. The day wasn't only good for me but for the team, the shop and Giant bikes. Team pushbikes finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd overall and same in the juniors as well as 1st and 2nd in the younger junior category. Also the top 5 were all Giant Bikes!

Timaru 12hr 31st October 2009

The Pushbikes team went down to the Timaru 12hr last weekend to defend their title of overall winners in 2008. This year we had a team of 5, Anton Cooper, Craig Oliver, Tayla Harrison, Oli Austin (Timaru rider) and me. We were up against some fast opposition. There were two fast teams from Timaru and Cycleways had put in a quick team with ex Pushbikes rider Brad Hudson. From the start it was Brad and I battling it out on the first lap, finishing right on each other’s tails. This carried on through the rest of our teams and then it was back to Brad and me again. Cycleways then punctured which gave us a good lead that would be hard for them to pull back. We were maintaining this lead and then even more trouble struck the cycleways team with two riders out of the race due to injuries from crashes (one in hospital) and a broken bike! This meant we had the race in the bag. We took it out totalling 33 laps. It was a great race. In my opinion it is the best place to hold a 12hr. It finishes at midnight so you get in more night laps and you get a mean feed the next morning at prizegiving! Hard luck to the Cycleways team, it would've been a great battle otherwise. Also a big thanks to the Austin’s for racing with us and letting us stay with them on Saturday night.

Dusky Trail 24th October 2009

Weather wasn't looking to good for this event, with the forecast saying snow down to 500m or something like that! But it was all good, warmish and no wind. I had a good race with Brent for most of the way. We worked together quite a bit. Brent’s mad skills through the river crossings got him a bit of a lead over the rest of us but I managed to bridge the gap and pull away from the others on the last hill. From there Brent and I worked together to hold off the chasers. Had one of the hardest sprints of my life trying to hold off Brent at the finish. He got the better of me though. But it was a Pushbike 1, 2 finishes which was sick. I was real stoked with my result. Started to see some form again, didn't get cramp and never felt sick or dizzy. I was also 11mins faster than last year! Nice work Brent.

McLean’s Island 12hr, 10th October 2009

This is always a great race because not only do you get the thrill of racing and getting a workout, you have 12hrs of hanging with mates! And our pushbikes team are real tight. So it is always good fun. This year we had Brad going first, followed by Anton, Me, Craig and Tayla. Brad being the machine that he is got us a mean start and the rest of us matched that lap after lap and we steadily pulled away from the opposition teams. I was really surprised with my times and the way I was feeling. I never felt too sick and my times were up there with the rest of the fast guys, which I was certain I would be slower than. We all rode really well and consistent. We managed to get Brad out for one final lap to complete 31 laps in the 12hrs which was more than any other team. Thanks to Richard for being the team mechanic and for even cleaning our bikes in the wet conditions! All the other parents put in a great effort too. And there was always lots of food which is what you need in a 12hr.

Cheviot Hills 20th September 2009

I was really looking forward to this race as I know it is a mean track and real fun to race on. They changed the course slightly and in my opinion it was more fun. The pace at the start of the race wasn't too quick and I was holding onto the front bunch alright. I stayed with them for the first lap and a half but then when I was pushing it at my max up a hill I started to feel lightheaded and sick. This is something I have had trouble with since before worlds. I then backed right off to try and recover but any hill just killed me. I decided to pull out in the end as I couldn't control my bike well enough while I was felling lightheaded and I didn't want that to cause me to crash. Although I felt really bad in my race I really enjoyed the one and a half laps. They were awesome!

World MTB Championships, Canberra Australia 2009

I recently got back from Canberra Australia, after competing at the world mountain bike champs.
Realizing I was at the world champs never really hit me until the day before my race. This wasn’t very good as the nerves set in when I should have been relaxing. Luckily, on the day of the race I was a lot better and I was feeling less nervous on the start line than I ever had before. This should’ve indicated a good start but I was seeded 70th out of 72 riders which made it extremely hard to get up the front. In my efforts to do this, I was heading up the outside of the pack and making good ground but a Japanese rider swung into me and took me out. After picking myself up and untangling my bike out of the tape, I was in last place by a good 30m! I managed to pass a few riders before entering the main single track which was so packed with riders we were all forced to run and even walk our bikes. At the end of the first lap I had managed to take back a number of places and was gaining on the others, when I had a huge crash on the most technical part of the course. I went over the handle bars and landed on a pile of rocks on my back. I noticed the pain straight away. Luckily my bike landed on a wall of padding, so it was alright (I just wish that I had landed there as well!) I managed to finish the race (in pain) in about the same position that I had held before I crashed. That turned out to be 59th. Although my race wasn’t the best, I still had an awesome time. I now know what it will be like next year. And when I think about it, to say I’m 59th in the world, doesn’t sound too bad. It was a great experience to see all the world’s fastest riders in action. The speed that the top riders race at is out of this world.

Yahoo Challenge - Round 4 Canterbury XC Series 3rd May 2009

Ah, the Yahoo Challenge. The great energy sapping Pushbikes race that is now part of the Canterbury XC series. An awesome event I look forward to every year for its wet challenging mixture of 4wd, purpose built single track and sheep tracks. A few bad days of rain left the track wetter than normal but the day of the race was a beautiful but chilly day. Lining up in the frost I looked at the other riders. I was the only one with mud tyres on! I couldn't decide if this was good or bad. I had a great start off the line and going up the wet, muddy, grassy hill I was getting supreme grip. Too bad my tyres couldn't make up for the rest I needed but didn't have. The yahoo being right at the end of the season is a real hard one to do well at for me because I need my rest. Apart from not feeling good I was enjoying the track and I could see the magnificent views that everyone talks about but I never see because I am racing. To add to my already average race a bunch of riders and I went the wrong way. I realized it was the wrong way when we had to jump a fence. On the next lap I caught Vaughan on the downhill. He was so pinned on his cyclocross. When we got out of the single track and onto the gravel road he boasted away from me. "I got to get me one of those." After I finished it was time to warm up after the cold river crossings. An awesome prize giving with a lolly and chutney scramble was the end to a great fun day.

Karapoti Classic 50km Saturday March 6th 2009

We all left on Friday morning to head up to the famous Karapoti challenge in Wellington. I long road trip up to Picton left us wanting some entertainment so we tried to catch some pidgins while waiting to get on the ferry. On our way to our accommodation we stopped off at the start of the race to check out the river which you have to carry your bike through at the start. Paul severed us up some excellent musaka for tea (thanks Paul) then we all hit the sack. At the start of the race you had to start off your bike so you can run through the water. I must have picked the deeps part to run through but it was all good and I came out of the water in a good position. I was going along ok in the same bunch as Anton but when we hit the hills I felt really sick and couldn't breathe properly because I had had a cold all week. By the final hill I was feeling a little better so I pushed a bit harder and passed quite a few riders. Coming back through the river again I decided to try and ride it. My whole bike ended up under water! I finished quite far back in the field and only just missed out on the 3 hour mark by 48 seconds. We were all naming the things that stopped me from not getting under 3 hours. But I know that I could get under 3 hours easily if it was a good day.

National MTB Championships XC Nelson 28th February 2009

The NZ National MTB Champs were held in Nelson in Brook Valley this year. Nelson had quite a bit of rain a few days prior to race day which made the track really wet and muddy. The day before the race was sunny and the track was drying up fast but the weather forecast for race day was rain and strong southerlies! I put on some Maxxis Advantages because I knew that they would still be awesome in the dry if the bad weather didn't come, but it came. Besides the weather I was feeling good about the race and was quite relaxed, surprisingly. But I woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat and couldn't get back to sleep on the morning of the race! I was annoyed because this was the most important race of the year! Our race got put down a lap from 5 to 4 because of the wet and muddy conditions. I had a really good start and was 4th after the first lap but it all went wrong from there. People were passing me and I would try to hang on but there was nothing to give. I had a crash as well! One of which I went flying over the handlebars, landed in some bushes, hit my head and shoulder on a log and my bike hit me in the hit and tumbled in front of me! Now I have chain ring marks in my helmet. That crash was sooo bad it took me a while to realize that I was ok and I could keep riding. The track conditions got worse each lap and on the final lap when I was pushing my bike up a hill, mud jammed up in all your gear. All the mud fell off after a gravel road downhill section though. I ended up finishing 10th. After riding in a mud bath I decided not to do the short course race.

Coronet Peak Round 3 South Island Cup 15th February 2009

We drove down to Central Otago on Thursday evening after school. On the Friday morning we picked up a riding mate for the airport who had flown down from Auckland for the race. He stayed with us at my Auntie and Uncle's vineyard in Bannockburn. After getting about 3 laps of practice over the two days before the race we were ready to roll. We arrived at Coronet Peak in time to watch the morning’s races. Anton was pumping out lap times that were so fast it made Bike NZ put our race up by a lap – thanks Anton. We were going to do 5 but we ended up doing 6! At first this didn't seem like a good thing but it turned out to be great because I passed the 1st placed rider on the last lap to get the win. I didn't go out too hard so I had more energy at the end. It was good to get my first win of the season and win the South Island cup at the same race with so much fast competition.

Timaru Round 2 South Island Cup 8th February 2009

Timaru put on a hot one for the 2nd round of the South Island cup. With temperatures in the mid to high 30s we lined up on the start line for a long road start. The Pushbikes team had the whole front line to themselves until the elites came and made a new line in front of us! This made the start even more important. After waiting on the line for what seemed like hours we were off. In the end I had a good start and was in the single track fast. The first lap was super quick! Well at least it felt that way. But I soon got into a smooth rhythm riding with Adrian Reteif from Auckland and little Anton. We stayed with each other for the whole race until I stuffed up and hit Adrian's tyre which made both Anton and I come off. This happened just a kilometer from the finish. When we went across the line it was Adrian, me then Anton all 10 seconds apart. I placed 2nd in the U19 men and 6th fastest overall. I was pleased with my result but I would've liked to have a sprint finish with Adrian and Anton to see if I could gain placing.

Round 1 South Island Cup Dunedin February 1st 2009

On our way down to Dunedin for the first round of the South Island xc cup we stopped off in Timaru for a quick blat of the Centenial park tracks as the second round of the south Island xc cup will be held there. Although I had already been for a ride that day I still wanted to check out the start of the race. I rode the start and the first hill with fellow Christchurch rider Tim Madgwick. After that we headed back to our motel for a big feed and sleep. The forecast for race day wasn't going to be nice but I woke up to a nice, still but cool morning. This all changed by the race start. It had become very windy and cold. With a southerly front blowing up our behinds we were off!. I had a great start and was right up the front by the first hill. But my legs were still back at the start line and a dropped back a few places and missed out on getting into the front bunch. This made the flat sections quite tough as I wasn't in a large group to work with. A big thanks to Brent Miller who helped me out when I was dropping off the back of our bunch. As the race went on my legs caught back up to me and I was feeling much better. I was in a bunch of four riders. Three of which were battling it out for 2nd and 3rd in the Under 19s. I drained all of the energy I had left on the last couple of hills which gained me 2nd place in the Under 19s. I was pleased with my result but I am looking forward to the next two races in the series as they are what I have been training for.

Australian National Championships Canberra January 23-25th 2009

Bike NZ took a group of us kiwis over to Aussie to show up the Australians at their National Championships. This didn't work out so well as the NZ team got 3 punctures, cracked frames (which were cable tied together), fractured wrists, a dislocated knee, and a bike lost by air NZ which turned up the night before the race!. We did get a couple of 3rd placings and a 5th. But there were 3 DNFs! I contributed to these misfortunes by dropping my chain on the first lap when I was in 5th place losing 10 places, getting a puncture on the second lap when I was in 4th place losing A LOT of places, and burping half the air out of my rear tyre on the last lap. THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR RUNNING EXCEPTION SERIES TYRES TUBLESS!!! I'm know running Maxxis UST Crossmark tyres. I ended up finishing 10th and 3rd kiwi which I was pleased with as I was riding well and I had so many problems. After our race we watched the elites, got sun burnt, chased lizards and made fun of the Aussies. Although my race didn't go to plan I had a good time over in Australia and it was worth the trip. But I didn't even see a kangaroo!

Hanmer Hammerhead / MTBNZ Junior Development Camp 7th December 2008

This was the first race in the Canterbury XC series. Also MTBNZ held a junior development camp on the Saturday and watched us race on the Sunday. At the camp we rode the Hammerhead course and talked about race tactics. Then it was back to school were we learnt about the future MTBing holds. We were lucky to have Kashi Leuchs (NZ pro rider) at the camp to talk us through his cycling career. Seeing there was a MTBNZ camp on there was a lot of competition at the race.
I didn't have the best start for the race and ended up walking the first bit of single track because there were too many riders around to fit on the track. Soon after I had gotten back on my bike and started riding again I had the pleasure of getting up close and personal with the loose gravel ground. Picking myself up and getting riding again was the hardest part of the race! But a few kms down the track I was back into race mode and catching up to the riders I was with before. In the end I finished 3rd in the juniors. I was pleased with this result as I think I raced well after a bad start and crash in the first 3km of the race. A big thanks to Richard and Vaughan for fixing my bike and also lending me brakes and wheels for the weekend. Cheers!

Long Beach 30th November 2008

This race was the day after the Moa Hunt so I was feeling a little tired but my bike was feeling worse after the time it had at the Moa Hunt. This meant Richard kindly lent me the new 2008 Anthem X Ltd Demo bike to use in the race. The Anthem turned out to be fantastic bike for this course. The track was quite ruff and soft, the rear suspension handled it with ease and I was able to keep the power down all the time. The Anthem helped me to win the Junior class and $200 cash prize! I couldn't have raced if it wasn't for Richard and the new 2009 Anthem. Pop into Pushbikes and take it out for a spin. I have cleaned it especially.

Moa Hunt Kekerengu 29 November 2008

The Moa Hunt was a must do race for team pushbikes. This ment that Chief Richard booked us all to stay in some shearers quarters the night before. When we all arrived we checked out who would sleep where and then got on our bikes (as boys in lycra do). My bike had just been fitted with new brake pads, rotors and more so I was keen to test them out and bed them in. This ment a hard walk up a steep hill that not even Anton could ride! coming back down was scarier than I thought. On that note we all went and had some grub and went to bed. We all new we should get some sleep but a few jokes had to be said. At 11:30pm we had settled down and hopefully didn't kept too many others awake. Race day. Everyone got into their morning routines and then we all rode down to the start. A few tactics were talked about before the start so the pushbikes team had a bit of a race plan. This didn't go too smoothly as Anton got a puncture in the first kilometer! Brad and I stayed to plan and followed another junior up the long first hill. Near the top I made a few brakes which resulted in just Brad and I left. After a short downhill, the course became undulating. On every climb I was sprinting to try and make they gap between Brad and I bigger. Although this helped a little most of it came down to the last downhill section, flat road and river bed. I pulled away from Brad on the downhill (I think my lack of brakes may of helped). I managed to hold him off on the road and the river to come out with the win. A very good race from me and it was good to be back on form. I bent my xtr in the race so my bike was not in good condition. Other than my bike, I felt great and had an awesome trip. Thanks to Richard and Paul for helping us through out our Moa Hunting adventure!!!

Beaconsfield Berm Buster Timaru 16th November 2008

This was an event organized by a mate down in Timaru and his friend. It was held on a narrow track going through trees and over bridges which was hand built by the young organizers. The were two different race options on the day. You could do a 2hr teams race or a 2hr solo race. I decided to do the solo because I have always wanted to do a 6hr solo race and I thought this would be a could stepping stone towards that.
And it was! It was so sweeeet! It made me want to ride for another 4hrs so it could be a 6hr race. In the race I had a really good start. Maybe a little too good because I ended up going the wrong way (by accident) so I was beating all the teams! They soon caught me along with another solo rider. With about 20mins to go I was feeling too good. This meant over the last two laps I would have to gun it. I pumped out my two fastest laps and then just out sprinted a rider on the line. Even though I came across the line in 1st I only got 2nd because I went the wrong way on the first lap. This didn't matter as it was just so much fun and the decision was a good call.

Timaru 12 hour Day / Nighter 1st November 2008

Pushbikes had a team of 4 riders for the Timaru 12hr consisting of Anton, Bradley, local boy Oli Austin and meeee. In the race I had the privilege of doing the first and last laps for the team. This turned out to be quite a task when I had to hold onto a 59 second lead on the last lap so we could take out the overall. It all came down to a matter of seconds as I came across the line in 1st place, 30 seconds in front of 2nd. This didn't really sink in straight away as the pain and cramp had taken over my mind. This was one of the best races I have done in a long time. Great track, result, team and free breakfast the next day.

Dusky Trail 27 Oct 2008

Getting up at 4am and driving from Christchurch to Twizel to do a MTB race isn't the funnest thing for a 16 year old to do. But once I arrived at the 08 Dusky trail MTB race I was pumped and ready for some fast racing. Well at least I thought I was ready. It turned out that I wasn't ready. We (all 280 starters) were at it from the gun and with the first 12km on flat gravel and tarmac roads the big power houses just rode away from me. After this I settled into my own pace but I just kept feeling I wasn't at my best. At about 5km from the finish I put in one last effort to gain a couple of places. I finished 10th overall and 1st junior. Not a bad result but my time was one minute slower than last year! This did not make me a happy chappy but it just wasn't my day.

South Island Secondary Schools MTB Champs Blenheim 1st-2nd October 2008

The 2008 South Island secondary schools MTB champs were held in Blenheim on the 1st and 2nd of October. The first day consisted of the cross country race and the downhill practice. So the second day held the uphill race and the down hill race. Before the race I was able to have a couple of days practice on the cross country course because we went up a few days earlier. I wasn't on form for this race so I wasn't expecting any strong results.
I was racing in the under 17 category and we were only doing two laps of a short 7.5km course. I knew this meant a good start was important so I was ready for a fast sprint off the line. I did just that and was first into the single track, setting a fast pace up the hill. I kept this pace up for the first 3-4km but after that my legs got really sore and I blew. I just took the last lap easy and cruised over the line in 6th place.
I only did one run at the downhill practice because I was riding my carbon xc bike so I knew I wasn't going to be competitive. Instead I watched all the downhillers crashing which was just as fun as riding.
The uphill was first up on the second day. It was a 3km course which was pretty much flat at the beginning but the last 300m was steep. I planned on having an easy start so I wasn't too tired by the last steep bit.
This didn't work out because another rider cut me off at the start so I had to catch up to the guys at the front. In the end I couldn't hold onto the pace so I dropped off and finished 4th.
I got a couple of downhill practice runs in before my race run which was helpful. I wasn't planning on going hard on the downhill, just riding smooth. I had a great run with only a couple of small mistakes which didn't hold me up much at all. I came 59th out of 98 which doesn't sound that good but I was very pleased with my time.
All and all it was a good, fun couple of days. And now I know what the competition is like for the South Island cup and the national champs.

Cheviot Hills MTB Race 21st September 2008

1st mountain bike race of the summer season. YES! I was really looking forward to doing this race as the last mountain bike race I did was the Yahoo Challenge and I had been doing way too much road riding over the winter. My Precious (mountain bike) was neglected and gathering dust in our garage! I am still getting over a cold that has been coming and going for a couple of months now, so I was not in good condition for this race. I just entered the race for some long lost fun. I had the chance to ride the coarse the day before. What a sweet track! I did a couple of easy laps and sorted out all the hot lines. I felt like I was at a national event. It was great. On race day Anton, Bradley, me and a few others went and did a warm up lap. Then we all rolled up to the start line looking like a pro team. 3, 2, 1 go! "Holly @#*% this is fast!" I was not ready for the pace that we were going at from the start. I hung onto the front bunch for the first lap. I wasn't feeling great and soon dropped off and settled into my own pace, treating it like a fun ride. Even though the tracks were reasonably wet and greasy (especially the last lap) my Maxis crossmark tyres were gripping every where and not getting clogged up with mud. They were also fast on the flat gravel sections. When I finally finished, I came across the line 4th under 19 rider. Looking forward to having another go at this race next year.