Table of contents for No.78 in Spoke

We live in pretty awesome times. Mountain biking has now been around long enough that for a lot of us, the children we have raised (or in some cases are raising) have grown up surrounded by this amazing sport. Our household has revolved around cycling since before Elliot was born; he could have hated the sport but thankfully–and rather selfishly–that was not the case. Having a stylish shredder living under the same roof definitely has its bonuses whenever I want to shoot. Rider: Elliot Smith Location: Wellington Shutter speed: 1/1000 Aperture: f4.5 ISO: 800…

The brown pow has turned white and once more we sit and wait for the tables to turn back in our favour. As we stare longingly up at those tall peaks and their trails buried under the snow, just remember: they will return, and be all the more sweet when you’re roosting fresh dirt off your rear tyre rather than icy-powder out the back of your twin-tips. Rider: Sam Blenkinsop Location: Canterbury Shutter speed: 1/800 Aperture: f3.5 ISO: 200…

Big events always draw a crowd and it’s no exception in the media world. The iconic scrum of photographers vying for the shot must look rather comical to the outsider looking at it from afar. Personally I have a love hate relationship with said scrums, on one hand the banter is always great and the constant chat and stories are an ideal way to pass the time between riders but funnily enough all your shots look the same as everyone elses! This was one of those days at Crankworx when I decided to go it alone and look for something different. I saw the last patch of sun hitting further down the track so I bush bashed down and made it just in time for the pro women. This shot…

There’s a point most mountain bikers reach when they wonder what trails are like outside of their hometown, invariably leading to road trips, where you and your mates set off to places near or far to sample alternative riding delights. Our most recent summer road trip was significantly different from previous trips and it got me thinking about how my missions have changed over the last 25 years. Much like the butterfly or dung beetle, mountain bike road trips have a definite life cycle, and this is how I reckon they roll: Loads of Time, No Money After leaving the family home, many of us move into a wondrous time of life where we have loads of time but very little cash. The ample time either comes from holiday breaks…

Iconic Californian bike brand Santa Cruz jumped into the carbon wheel market two years ago with a bang, or should I say a lack of a bang. For their launch, they challenged team rider Danny Macaskill to break a set. His heroic efforts culminated with him riding down a flight of concrete steps on only the rim. Viewers watched and waited for the inevitable bang as it cracked, but nothing—the rims stayed intact. This bit of marketing nous certainly perked our interest in getting our hands on a set of Reserve wheels to test for ourselves. The other intriguing thing about them was that Santa Cruz were backing that if Danny couldn’t break them then no one could, and were giving them a lifetime riding warranty. Meaning as long as…

Lapierre is a brand that has been flying low on our radar recently, so we were excited to get the call about taking the French brand’s new Zesty for a test run, and to find out what the legendary Nicolas Vouilloz and the engineers at Lapierre had been busy creating. As I did my research, my first problem was that I couldn’t work out if this Zesty was a 27.5 or a 29er; as I dug a little deeper I realised it was both. While developing the new range, Nico and his team had started from scratch. The original goal was to build both a cross country and an all-mountain bike, but as their ideas for both were so similar, they decided on a shared platform. The new frame is…

I took this photo in peak season last summer in between juggling shoots for multiple clients and hopping from one event to the next. This particular morning we had scheduled a rest day. However, the routine of sunrise starts was embedded so strongly we woke up anyway, and of course we went shooting, because when it comes down to it there is nothing I would rather be doing. Rider: Nate Hills Location: Mt Cheeseman, Canterbury Shutter speed: 1/1000 Aperture: f5.6 ISO: 3600…

When a Kiwi does well on the world stage it’s worth celebrating, and Billy Meaclem’s recent performance at Crankworx Rotorua is no exception. With a Speed & Style win, a 3rd in Whip Off and a 4th in Pump Track, his results came as a surprise to the majority of the mountain biking world. However for those who have watched him come up through the ranks, we knew it was only a matter of time. Well done bro! Rider: Billy Meaclem Location: Whakarewarewa forest, Rotorua Shutter speed: 1/1250 Aperture: f4.5 ISO: 8000…

Since joining the cult of the mountain bike about a decade ago, I haven’t seen the joy in running. I thought bikes were faster and easier; now I think they might be safer too. Before bikes became a single-minded obsession, I used to run a fair bit, getting to the stage where I could trot around a half marathon at a reasonable clip or spend a couple of hours running up trails in the hills with comfort. But after finding the joy of exploring the nearby hills by bike, the idea of a slow and jarring run never had the same appeal. Since two-wheeled expeditions off road became my preferred leisure time activity, I haven’t really laced up the running shoes, but entry into a multisport race next year prompted…

We all dream about our next weekend away. Ideas are thrown around during the weekly group ride or post ride brew. For me, ideas stem from another rider saying, ‘have you ridden such and such trail, or been into ‘x’ hut?’ From here the seeds are sown for your classic mountain bike weekender. Back in the day you’d pull out a topo map and spread it out over the kitchen table, cuppa in hand. Now you’re more likely to pull out a tablet and bring up your favourite topo or trail app and start the planning process. A few months back I did just this. Kirwans Track had been on my radar for some time and seemed to tick the boxes for an overnighter. I think the key to success…

One way to describe Andrew “Ox” O’Connell would be a man of many talents. That wouldn’t just be one of those trite, throwaway labels foisted by default to describe anyone with a job and a hobby. He’ s someone with a head-spinning array of pursuits— musician, stonemason, comedian, poet, downhill iconoclast, party gladiator, boutique mushroom farmer, entrepreneur, business owner, contrarian economist. These are just some of the caps he has worn, many of them simultaneously. Some of the more colourful of those epithets are straight from the Ox’s mouth. One thing is certain; they broke the mould when they created him. He’ s a one-of-a-kind individual with a pedigree that goes back to the earliest days of New Zealand downhill. My mind strains to even remember when I first met…

Commencal’s new 29-inch version of the Meta TR trail bike wants you to get rowdy. This mid-travel weapon is ready to take on much bigger terrain than its 130 millimetres of rear travel suggests. The bike runs a reverse mullet suspension set-up, with 150mm of front travel, an increasingly popular trend within big wheeled trail bikes. It’s easy to see why—the extra plushness up front means the bike is ready to party in terrain that would make other trail bikes feel distinctly uncomfortable. While I had the bike I put it through its paces on the gnarliest trails I could find, including a day of shuttling the loamy goods at Mt Cheeseman in Craigieburn, and a day ploughing through the steepest and roughest tracks on offer at the Christchurch Adventure…

I sit on this rattly old bus reflecting on why I love this sport so much: a man in his early 50s riding with a bunch of 20-year-olds (two of them my sons) with the gift of youth. Is it the smiling faces I see every week and the community that accepts all, from beginners excitedly fearing the steep hill this straining old bus is trying to climb, to the sponsored riders whose faces I’ve seen in many a magazine? Is it the smell of sweaty bodies that has permeated this old coach, giving it new life? The banter of flats versus clips, 27.5 or 29, 64 degree head angles, or SRAM versus Shimano? These thoughts are like a drug, or a different language we all share, without knowing its…

It’s no secret that Queenstown is a hotspot for off-season development for a swathe of professional riders, whether they be downhill creeps, enduro freaks, or huck-your-meat freeriders. On the back of their recent trip to Hawaii for film project Return to Earth with Anthill Films, Carson Storch and Reed Boggs migrated south for a few weeks of summer lovin’ and big mountain riding down here in little ol’ NZ. What they found were huge, unridden lines deep in the mountains and valleys of Otago, and a lesson in how to read scree. Not all those rocks moved when they rode straight into them. I’ll let you figure out who came out better off. Rider: Reed Boggs Location: The Branches, Queenstown Shutter speed: 1/2000 Aperture: f5.0 ISO: 500…

I’m always buzzing to get the call up from Conor to head out into our backyard and reel off some shots. That’s just what we did–packed the trucks and headed off into the hills of Central Otago. Over the years, Conor has compiled quite the portfolio of features around Otago, something that takes dedication and hard work but in return opens up a huge natural playground where he reaps the rewards at his leisure. This image is of Conor leaning back into one of the more natural scree lines found out there. No matter how far we go it’s getting in the truck and heading into these remote spots that delivers every time Rider: Conor Macfarlane Location: Central Otago, NZ Shutter speed: 1/3200 Aperture: f2.8 ISO: 200…

LEZYNE TUBELESS BLASTER Plug that hole and put some atmosphere back in your tyres at the same time with this innovative two-in-one tool designed to get you back shredding even faster. A manual CO2 release knob lets you hold onto your shot until the right moment. The velcro stap can mount to your bike or keep everything together to slip into a pocket. lezyne.com SMITH FOREFRONT 2 MIPS HELMET The Forefront got a do-over. The all-mountain helmet has shock absorbing Koroyd through even more of its design. MIPS is there to help the helmet roll with any impacts. There’s room for a camera or light mount to be fitted up front, as well as an adjustable visor to fit your sunnies or goggles. Great got even better. smithoptics.com/nz BONTRAGER BAT…

In preparation for winter events, riders load their bikes and head to the trails to train. But to their annoyance, it starts pouring icy, biting rain. The motivation to get out and ride suddenly changes, and thoughts of jumping back into bed with the electric blanket on are a constant temptation. However, they know that to do well in events they need to get out there and get the training in. Running low on motivation to train for sport can happen to everyone; but this is where a few mental skills tools and strategies can be applied to keep motivated. My name is Jay Barrett, and I’m a mental skills trainer/coach that previously raced downhill for Wide Open and New Zealand. Mental skills tools and strategies are used to help…

Llullaillaco is the third highest volcano on Earth, at 6739 metres. It’s also the highest mountain with no glacial coverage, which is surely due to its location, enthroned in the most arid part of Chile’s Atacama Desert. It lies hundreds of kilometres away from any civilization, is frequently surrounded by heavy storms, and more often than not sees temperatures below minus 30 degrees celsius. Those could be the reasons it’s rarely visited by mountaineers, but it sounded like an exciting goal to ride; I gladly accepted Pato’s invitation. Pato, short for Patricio, brought to life an interesting project: Guardian del Valle. He took it upon himself to ride the Guardians of the Valley by bike—five mountains over 5000 metres tall. My involvement began in Africa a few years ago, following…

One of the benefits of hanging out at Crankworx is sometimes you get to be Johnny on the spot, and after crashing a Pivot Cycles demo party I got to sneak a Pivot Firebird 29 back home for a couple of weeks. Turns out I was only home for a night and got the call to head for Queenstown and some burly trails—the perfect place to test one of the burliest bikes on the enduro scene today. Off the plane and straight into the Skyline bike park, the Firebird let rip and I was instantly aware I was riding a beast reminiscent of its namesake—the Pontiac Firebird with its 6.6 litres of V8 fury. The only limit was my nerve (and skill) as the bike ate everything in its path…