Table of contents for No.76 in Spoke

When I first arrived on these shores years ago I wondered what lay beneath the canopy of beech trees. I had a feeling it was going to be dense bush, almost impenetrable on foot let alone by bike. How wrong could I have been? The roots of these beautiful trees provide an insanely good surface for bike tyres to run over: grippy and fun in the dry, and treacherous in the wet. Add in thousands of discarded leaves sprinkled over this luscious loam illuminated by the last rays of the day to create a mountain bikers’ dream. Rider: Steve Curry Location: Squid Run, Queenstown, NZ…

I’m claiming Tasmania as New Zealand’s West Island. Other than the deadly snakes, wallabies, and Boag’s Lager, it has so much more in common with New Zealand than Australia, its former motherland. The Myrtle Beech forests make you feel at home and the trails are oh so good. Take a mishmash of New Zealand’s best—Rotorua, Nelson, Craigieburn and Queenstown—and you have an idea of what Maydena in the South and Derby in the North offer. Wyn Masters visited both recently. Here he is sampling one of the newest additions to Derby’s ever increasing trail network, named Air-Ya-Garn. You do need to adopt a heavy Aussie accent to pronounce the trail name correctly though. Rider: Wyn Masters Location: Derby, Tasmania, AUS…

The holiday season is upon us: Christmas carols blaring at the supermarket, punishing queues at the shops as people scramble to buy their family presents they don’t need, and a mad rush at work to get everything done before the office shuts down. But there’s lots of good news as well: it also means long sunny nights for big rides and backyard barbecues with a couple of brews. Best of all, you’ve hopefully got a bit of time off to spend with the people that matter to you, and ideally, ride your bike in some faraway places. When Christmas rolls around, you might find you’ve got a stack of shiny new bike bits under the tree, or maybe even a box-fresh rig to swing a leg over. Many of you…

March 2019 will mark the fifth edition of the festival of good times and radness that is Crankworx Rotorua. The first stop on the annual Crankworx World Tour, it’s part of a global megabrand, syndicated across the globe and entertaining a huge range of people—from the committed rider, to folks who may never have come across mountain biking before it came to their seatback screen on a long-haul flight. What was once a relatively small event for Whistler locals is now a world-wide circuit, attracting the sport’s biggest names but still retaining a tight, participative feel. It’s one of few world-class events where local heroes can line up against the energy-drink-helmeted elite—and as Rotorua rippers like Keegan Wright have shown, throw down! After four increasingly successful events, Crankworx Rotorua 5…

First-time dog dad Michael Hayward has big plans for his trail dog in training. He’ll cover the highs and lows of canine companionship in Spoke’s new column. I’m on the wrong side of 30 now, and it’s catching up with me. My belly’s getting round and I’ve started making unintentional and sad little groaning noises when I get up off the couch. Suddenly I have all these responsibilities taking up my time—a real job and a house and mortgage. I used to ride my bike every day, in any conditions, and nothing seemed to get in the way. These days, a ride has to be crowbarred into my schedule. There’s always something else I should be doing instead. Some of it’s about willingness—if it’s raining, I’m just as likely to…

With Sam Hill’s dominance in enduro over the past couple of years, flat pedals are starting to look pretty appealing. But you’re not Sam Hill, so how do you know which is best? Spoke rehashes a classic debate that’s more relevant than ever. Flats – Leif Debating the merits of flats over clipless pedals is as old as time itself, a topic many would say has been done to death. But like the seasons, these things are cyclical, and recently I’ve seen a significant increase in riders making the shift to flats. Pure coincidence that flat pedal wonder from down under Sam Hill is currently taking the enduro world by storm? “Flat pedals win medals”, so the expression goes, and it would seem that under the feet of the right…

A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, there’s not much Charlie isn’t keen for—be it on snow, bikes, or late-night human experiments. He jumped on a trail bike with no knee pads and an XC helmet and took on the enduro scene. Chapter One – How it all began It all started with Tom Bradshaw at the Trans NZ in February. Bradshaw is a long time MTB mate and the most Kiwi, southern bloke to ever come out of the North Island. The man lives and breathes bikes, one of those guys who takes his bike to bed. At Trans NZ his arm was in a sling, so I asked the usual questions: “What track did you crash on? How big did you go?” His answer took me by surprise. “Believe it or…

Dropper posts are the best thing to happen to mountain biking since Charlie Kelly and the Repack Run. A good post makes riding more fun. These days, I think I’d almost rather ride a rigid with a dropper than a full suspension bike without one. Of course, they’re great until they go wrong. Most posts use internal floating piston (IFP) hydraulic internals. These require perfect sealing, and at some point in our wet and dirty way of life that seal is likely to be compromised, at which point you acquire an extra 15mm of unwanted, uncontrolled ‘suspension’. Worse, many posts require a trip to the workshop (or further) to be serviced—less than convenient when you’ve just unpacked your bike after a flight to your dream riding destination. Bike Yoke’s Revive…

You’ve ridden the trail a few times and remember it well as you pitch it to your friends: “There’s a climb at the beginning, but it’s only got one steep pinch, and once you get to the top it’s pretty much all downhill. There’s a rocky chute halfway down that’s a bit techy; just go high and right. Oh yeah, and there’s a sweet lunch spot just after the final stream crossing.” But doubt soon sets in. You were sure the climb wasn’t this long, and there’s way more than one steep section. How can it be “pretty much all downhill” with multiple lung-burning uphill grovels? You go high and right on the first rocky chute you come to, but where did that next one come from? At least the…

Conor spied this wallride just south of his home while out exploring new zones a few years back. With his trusty shovel by his side, he created a takeoff, smoothed the wall where he would meet the rock, and cleared a landing. We came back earlier this year and put the feature to the test—the run-in was a little sketchy, but it takes a lot more than a sketchy run-in to scare Conor off. Rider: Conor Macfarlane Location: Central Otago…

Sticky Forest is a trail gem for Wanaka. The area it encompasses is quite small, but we all know it’s not about size, but how you use what you’ve got! I brought Canadian Mark Matthews over on his trip to New Zealand to see his take on the place. One of his favourite features was this step-up after the road gap on International. He was sending whips higher than most people I’ve seen, keeping the branches trimmed on the way. Rider: Mark Matthews Location: Wanaka,…

Like us, trails change with time, needing care and attention to survive and grow. Those with the itch to build trail can take care of their own wellbeing through the process of maintaining a track. I’m not a trail builder, not even close. Sometimes I give trails a little tickle, or get a tad more hands-on under direct supervision, but seeing and cutting in lines is not a skill I possess. I have the utmost respect for trail builders, though I’ll never be able to ride much of what they build in the way they intended. Sometimes I just like to watch others ride these works of art. Months ago I heard whispers of a little-known line cut in by an unknown trail builder, which had fallen into a state…

Jamie: I’m no trail builder: I can barely remember the last time I even skidded a line in. But when Nico (an adopted Queenstown local originally from France) called asking if I wanted to go to New Caledonia to build some new trail for Ouenghi Bike Club, I couldn’t say no. After getting time off from work my flights were booked and in no time we were touching down in Noumea. The dig crew consisted of Craig Wight and Phil Oliver from Alexandra, and Queenstown locals Jake Hood, Nico Piraud, Oliver Buffet, Ashton Oliver and me. We arrived at the trails on a Sunday evening and got acquainted by drinking beer and playing cards, ready to start grafting on Monday morning. The team spent the first few hours walking and…

I’m riding a narrow ribbon of perfect dirt, off-camber sections punctuated with the roots of the surrounding forest and tight catch berms. We’re moving fast—the trees are a blur like that scene in Return of the Jedi on the moon of Endor. I’m on the wheel of a local who knows this track like the back of their hand. Normally, this kind of pace on an unfamiliar trail would be death-grip stuff for a rider like me, but right now I’m relaxed and comfortable, able to look ahead and anticipate what’s coming up. My wheels feel as though they’re glued to the ground, yet when I need to get airborne it’s an easy pop. As I land, the impact is absorbed firmly and supportively, without any harshness. No bucking, no…

Sometimes the way a trip plays out in your mind before you leave is nowhere close to what actually happens and your predetermined expectations are completely shattered. This happened to me on a recent mission to Canterbury—but it certainly wasn’t a bad thing. The underlying idea was to take an eclectic mix of riders on an adventure road trip and try to push them out of their comfort zone, to challenge them to achieve some firsts or at least push their skills in some unfamiliar scenarios, working on the in vogue theory that stressing one’s body and mind makes it stronger over time. The first challenge was finding a balance to the team, one that would marry the vitality of youth with the wisdom and grace of age. For reasons…

Mondraker has been at the forefront of the geometry game since the early days of long and slack bikes. The Spanish brand has been pushing bigger reach and stubby stems in the name of going from A to B as rapid as possible. As this long, slack revolution takes over the 29er category, it seems fitting Mondraker had an answer for it, so when the all new Foxy RR 29 was offered my way for a ride, I was itching to swing a leg over her. Visually the Foxy is an odd duck; at first glance I was unsure on the appearance as it’s genuinely different to anything out there. But after a couple of weeks the sleek lines and carefully considered build quality began to creep on me. The…

Living four hours’ drive from your hometown trails gets tiresome. Itching to get back and ride is an all too common symptom. As New Zealand’s unofficial mountain bike Mecca, a place this special will do this to you. Take a long weekend, an excitable handful of friends, ambient temperature beer that you’ve convinced yourself is cold enough, and liberally apply to the area for three days. Are you cured? No. It’s a Band-Aid, but you’ll be back. Rider: Jonas Meier Location: Marlborough, NZ…

While I love exploring the lush native forest and trails in Rotorua, I usually do so at my own pace, and tend to stick to the main line, especially on tracks I don’t know as well. So when I got the chance to ride Te Mounga with a few local shredders, it was an eye-opening experience in both how fast they ride and the creative lines they choose. Here’s Cole Lucas negotiating a steep sweeping corner at full pace on a sneaky locals’ line. Rider: Cole Lucas Location: Te Mounga, Rotorua, NZ…

I’ve ridden a bike every day this year. You can too—just use this one weird trick. But first I should back up a bit and explain how I got here and why it’s a big deal. Turn the clock back 14 years and I was riding for a living. Well, not really a living—it’s tricky to make money from being really enthusiastic about mountain biking—but I rode a lot. If you’d asked me what I did, I would have said, “I’m a mountain biker”. Nearly 10 years ago I basically imploded. It was the start of a long painful journey with a chronic inflammatory arthritis condition that wreaked all sorts of havoc across my body. After the initial shock to my system, I settled down and did some proper adulting,…

27.5” wheels, 63.5 degree head angle, 200 millimetres of travel—sounds like a downhill bike, right? Well, what about a 1940-millimetre wheelbase with two cranksets, handlebars, and seats? Yes, that’s plurals. Welcome to the world of tandem with Jackson and Rose Green These guys have been pioneering the way of two-wheel, two-person power for over thirteen years, sparked by Rose’s interest in competing in the Lake Taupo road race. She convinced her then-boyfriend Jackson to join her on a tandem roadie to “split” the ride. The bug bit, and like all bike junkies, it wasn’t long until they found themselves using the n+1 rule while scouring Trade Me for something a little more “off-road” oriented. This is where ‘Rocky’ the hardtail was found and their foray into couples’ racing began. Ingenuity…

A dusty white ute skids to a stop beside us. Russ Paver climbs out smiling and wanders over to greet us with a firm handshake. The tall jovial Englishman took charge of the building and maintenance of Cardrona’s ever growing trail network last summer. He arrived back early this year with some lofty plans—a new jump line and a remodel of one of the older trails were among the first things to tick off his list before opening day—but Mother Nature had a different idea. This spring has seen a relentless cycle of cold southerly storms hit the Southern Alps, bringing with them an abundance of snow. And when you work outdoors at around 1600m above sea level this proves rather troublesome. Russ is no stranger to the high alpine…

Founded six years ago by a small group of locals, the Rotorua Bike Festival has quickly become an annual staple for the local biking community. Though the events have become quite the spectacle, it’s the people surrounding them that make it unique and extraordinary. The brainchild of Martin Croft, the inaugural Rotorua Bike Festival was brought to life on the smell of an oily rag, with Neil Gellatly coordinating, Graeme Simpson promoting, and Nick Lambert designing. When ownership passed from Rotorua Lakes Council to the freshly-formed Rotorua Bike Festival Trust in 2014, Dave Crowley was one of the first to put his hand up as a trustee. “The festival initially had a bit more focus on promoting Rotorua and the intent was to build in some more showcase type events.…

The Goodyear name is more familiar in motor racing than within cycling, but the brand synonymous with the eponymous blimp has recently released a range of mountain bike tyres. We’ve been running their gravity-oriented offering, appropriately named Newton and Newton ST. These come in 2.4 and 2.6 widths in both 27.5 and 29er wheel sizes. Our test tyres are the 2.6 DH Ultimate / Dynamic: RS/T / A:Wall 29er version. These feature the softest compound rubber and their DH casing uses dual ply casing and features Goodyear’s A:Wall, a butyl layer under the casing ply for additional sidewall protection. There are also two lighter casings for those requiring a regular trail-type tyre. A dual ply 2.6 DH tyre in 29er format isn’t going to set weight-weenies’ hearts ablaze. Goodyear claims…

It must have been around 2002 when a friend returned from Canada with a Rocky Mountain RM7, and I don’t think I’ve ever coveted a bike quite so much. The RM7 not only blew my mind with its radical looks, it also made my Gary Fisher Aquila hardtail feel pretty inadequate. Back then Rocky Mountain was at the forefront of everything progressive in mountain biking. The Vancouver based company were the undisputed kings of freeride and their riders like Wade Simmons, Brett Tippie and Richie Schley were pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. After a relatively quiet period Rocky Mountain has burst back into the limelight over the last couple of years with a stable of exciting new models, and with a pedigree like theirs it’s not…