The Pedaler's smoking new ride

The very latest addition to the Mountain Pedaler stable is a sleek racing machine based around the El Fuego ('The Fire') frame. Although discontinued, Oliver was fortunate enough to pick up one of these few remaining race weapons and draped the frame in a suitably exotic build. The final weight? An astounding 9.9kg (21.8lb).

Highlights include Hope Mono Mini Pro brakes, a Middleburn RS8 ISIS crankset, the new Rock Shox SID fork and a KCNC Ti Pro Lite seatpost topped with a feathery Selle Italia SLR saddle.
One of the build goals was to keep the bike free from carbon, a material often overhyped and not entirely suited to the abuse dished out on race courses. Instead of resorting to the black stuff, rare earth metals made up a lot of the build, with titanium making appearances in the Crank Bros. pedals and bottom bracket, as well as bolts seatposts and skewers.

This XC weapon will roll on some of the lightest wheels available. Stans NoTubes ZTR Race 7000 rims were laced to A2Z superlight hubs with Wheelsmith XL-15 spokes for a total wheelset weight of only 1240 grams. Safe to say the bike floats up the hills, with the plush Ventana suspension making technical descents a breeze.

Spot this smoking rig at XC races around the country. Oliver plans to pilot it around race courses across NZ, and if its maiden 3rd placing in a quality Hanmer Hammerhead field is anything to go by, expect to see it shredding!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Mammoth race in 'sunny' Nelson

Mammoth riders begin the first grueling climb
Photo Patrick Hamilton (Nelson Mail)

In what seems to be a consistent trend for Ventana factory rider Oliver Whalley, a road trip from his home base of Christchurch to the sunny haven of Nelson was greeted by murky rain. This starkly contrasts region's sunny virtues which are loudly and regularly espoused by patriarchal pundits.

Fortunately, the muddy conditions played to Ollie's passion for technical trails, and his efforts were rewarded with a great course including some sweet slippery singletrack in the Richmond foothills.

From the gun, it was a tempo climb, with local pinner George Bennett riding away in a strong show of the form that took him to amazing results in the recent Tour of Southland.

With George off the front, the duel was on for second, with Ollie shredding the first descent to put time into promising young local rider Ethan Glover.

Plagued by chainsuck on his Grinch Green El Padrino, Ollie lost time to Ethan on the final extended climb up German Bush, and a furious sprint to be first into the final descent ensued. The Ventana rider prevailed and extended his lead down the final descent which now resembled a luge track. Ollie's solid second place was a great start to the competitive season.

1600m of vertical and some awesome trails made this a classic Nelson event, with plenty of BBQ sausage on hand at the finish.

Ventana veteran Sue powered her way to a win in the veteran woman's category. Special mention must go to her efforts crossing the Roding River where it was reported she was up to her arms!

Ventana factory riders Ollie and Sue are all smiles; eagerly awaiting the slopfest!

Photo Robin Whalley

The Nelson Mail put together a great race report which conveys the rugged conditions well.

Full credit to Rob and the Nelson MTB club for a fantastic event full of varied and interesting terrain. Mammoth's are usually renowned for 'creative' course marking but his teams efforts were top notch.

Truly an honest mountainbike race and despite trying conditions not a single finisher crossed the line without a grin.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana teases with Interbike treats

Sherwood poses next to a 25" El Rey.
Midgets need not apply to ride this monster!

The folks at Ventana have just returned back from the mega-bike-monstrosity that is Interbike, held in Las Vegas. For the first time in several years, the crew decided to grace the outdoor demo day with their presence, putting together a kick ass fleet of bikes for the press to enjoy. Old favourites like the El Saltamontes, El Rey and El Terremoto where all on show, as well as some tasty new treats.

A fleet of El Reys ready to shred.

First up, the hotly anticipated El Bastardo, a 650b full suspension rig which looks set to lead the industry into this new standard. 650b gives smaller riders the benefits of 29" wheels that can be too much for them to handle.

The El Bastardo 650b in fire engine red

Equally exciting was the El Chucho ('The Mongrel'), which combines the benefits of a 29" front wheel with a 26" in the rear to give a unique bike with exceptional handling. Again Ventana is leading the charge, producing the first 69er fully while the rest of the industry just cottons on to the benefits of the 29" revolution!
Expect to see one of these mongrels in the Mountain Pedaler test fleet when they are officially released in the new year.

El Chucho '69er; rollability in the front,
snappy acceleration in the back.

By all accounts the outdoor demo and subsequent trade show where a rip-roaring success. The ability to deliver exciting and refined new frames in mere months never ceases to amaze me. Coupled with the old favourite frames that have established Ventana's reputation for quality and performance, the future is definitely looking bright!

Mountain Pedaler out..

Pick N Mix sweeten things up in Taupo

Transition mayhem at team Pick N Mix

Photo Rhy Hayward

A haphazard collection of buddies including Ventana riders Oliver and Pete cobbled together a team for the Taupo Day Night thriller, a 12 hour Enduro held in the forests around Spa park. Reportedly the biggest 12 hour in the world, this event didn't disappoint with a tent village traverse feeling as though it took half of the lap time!

Pick N Mix ready to roll!

Photo Friendly random

Kaz pins the hard line
Photo Oliver Whalley

To keep with an ongoing theme of 'serious fun', Pick N Mix donned Opshop $2 shirts with startling floral patterns. Styles ranged from Rhys' super-tight-n-skanky purple number, to the full bodied frock that Ollie wore. Female team members Karen and Kim felt rather outdone, commenting that heinous dresses on the fairer sex didn't prompt the same rowdy support afforded to the guys!

Oliver unleashes the frock power

Photo Michelle Bellamy

Pete powers away with Kaz in support.
Rhys exhales while Kim checks the tent roof (WTF?)
Photo Oliver Whalley

Some outstanding teamwork, particularly at transitions, in addition to some lightning fast laps cemented the teams position as 4th place mixed team, 15th out of 394 entries!

Rhys shows his race face
Photo Karen Collins

The atmosphere at the team tent was fantastic, with plenty of singalongs and 'put it in the biggie' calls to keep excitement levels high. After a long day in the saddle the final 2 laps fell to Oliver who powered his El Padrino to finish in a ruffled heap of skirt 30 seconds before the cutoff.

A fantastic weekend for the team at a great event. So successful was the cross-dressing concept, some team members may even opt to wear their classy numbers at local races!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Sherwood Gibson; the man, the legend.

Sherwood Gibson; Mr Ventana
Photo Teresa Franco

Hot of the press is this great interview from the folks at Bike Radar.
Those of you out there who have had the pleasure to ride one of his frames will know him to be a master of his art, and this article gives a great insight into the man, his history and his passion.
As founder and chief designer of Ventana he is responsible for the great products that Mountain Pedaler NZ are proud to distribute.
A riveting read for any Ventana afficandos or indeed anyone looking for a face behind the brand in this current age of Taiwanese welding robots.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Guilty pleasures.

Mucky shoes

Winter mountainbiking in Christchurch is a guilty pleasure. There is a list of reasons why not to ride as long as the ruts that form in the wake of munter riders who choose to disobey the track closures.
As such, a road bike is often an outlet for mountainbikers seeking riding stoke, but the associated lyrca and roadie hats can bring a sheepish looks and further feelings of guilt.

With a multitude of users, particularly of the smaller brain to horsepower ratio, Worsley Spur is chewed up at the best of times. The damage that can be done from a single biker pales in comparison to the amount of soil that is washed down the hill during a typical rainfall event, so with this rationalisation I headed for the hills (via Dyers Pass) for a slide down Christchurch's winter riding gem.

Mucky crank

This particular afternoon the track was a mixture of slushy snow with an underlying layer of mother nature's filthiest and most slippery clay.
lines left this rider The descent itself was far from graceful, with frequent use of the 'tripod' required to keep face out of the growing mirky puddles. But the sheer challenge of stringing together barely ridablewooping all the way down. There is nothing like a muddy downhill to teach fine brake and steering control as anything else inevitably ends in a bum slide.

Mucky hub

After the ride it struck me the number of implications the ride had had, strangely leaving further feelings of guilt...
Most notably, the pile of flaked mud that had been transported via baggies to the bathroom floor. In hindsight this was well timed given that flatmates were scheduled to clean that particular room this week.
As for the argument that riding in the mud wears your bike prematurely, this base was safely covered by taking El Toro singlespeed complete with sparkly new (at least at the start) White Bros. Rock Solid Rigid fork. The latter performed exceptionally well in the muck, conveying mud clearance and steering precision beyond the realm of a suspension fork.

Complimentary mud camo paint finish

So if you find yourself in a similar situation on a sunny Sunday afternoon, take the plunge and head for a mucky Worsley's run. Ignore the pangs of guilt and you'll be rewarded with pure riding pleasure!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana: All Access Tour

As most Ventana owners know, the people behind the scenes at this boutique frame manufacturer are something special, and for the first time we can now get a grasp of just how they work their magic.

The folks at Competitive Cyclist have put the geographical proximity to the Californian factory to good use, and visited Sherwood and Co. for a comprehensive tour of the factory that can be found here.

It gives an excellent insiders report of the factory, covering everything from machining to powder coating (and all the steps in between).

The following excerpt sums up their visit well...
It's not any one thing that stands out about Ventana from our visit -- it's all the little things. It's the processes and tools they've developed to ensure quality comes first. They take the time on the front end to alleviate any potential warranty issues. It's the systems they have in place to address efficiencies, and be sure they turn inventory quickly. That's for their sake, our sake, and yours. But most of all it’s about the people. Behind every good business are good people, passionate about what they do.

Mountain Pedaler can only agree with these sentiments, and we are exceptionally proud to be the distributor of these fine frames in New Zealand.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Mountain Pedaler's new ride

While automobiles are rarely given a passing thought on this bastion of bicycle obsession, Mountain Pedaler NZ's procurement of a Toyota Caldina GTT wagon is surely a milestone worthy of mention.

Flash new door magnets

With mixed emotions, the well travelled Series 3 Land Rover (affectionately known as 'the landie') was put to pasture, replaced with this fine example of Japanese engineering; a picture performance and reliability not unlike a Ventana.

Expect to see it at trails around NZ, with the occupants arriving in a level of comfort, style and safety in stark contrast to the sensory assault forced upon passengers and driver alike during long trips in the landie.

GTT: Good for Towing Trailbikes

We are happy to report bike capacity of up to 7 bikes which should make roadtrips feasible even with the current hemorrhaging of petrol prices.

Mountain Pedaler out...

When the goop hits the fan...

When tubeless goes bad...

Those of you out there who have made the leap to tubeless tires will no doubt relish the benefits, notably the ability to run lower tire pressures with reduced risk of puncture. With low pressure also comes a world of benefits that really bring a bike alive. These include lower rolling resistance, more traction and extended tire life.

While tubeless may seem like the ultimate tire solution, it is not without its own challenges, and principal among these is the initial setup, where a combination of sitcky goop and compressed air can make for a messy and uncomfortable situation.

Fortunately, those out there who haven't taken the plunge can learn from the Mountain Pedaler's mistakes. A great deal of faffing about could have been avoided if the tyres had first been inflated onto the rims with a tube, thus seating at least one of the beads. With those done, the compressor easily inflated the tire and seated the remaining bead with a loud pop.

All sealed up and ready to PARTY!

Andrew shows some new-bike stoke

With tyres inflated and pedals attached, Andrew's Chiquillo was ready to fly. Fuego rider Will took him for a whizz around the Christhchurch tracks, and Andrew reported having a blast. Despite the always painful maiden endo Andrew showed some impressive riding skills and should be shredding his home tracks as we speak.

Mountain Pedaler out...

King of Bling? Chris King.

When it comes to hubs, there aint nothin' nicer than a Chris King, and Pete of SS nationals fame just shouted his Ventana El Toro a set of these classy hubs.
With features like a 5 year warranty, fully serviceable stainless steel bearings and a phenomenal 72 engagement pawls, these hubs should keep rolling loud and proud for many years to come.

Perhaps the best feature is the auditory smorgasbord that these hubs serve up every time the freewheel engages. If precision and quality had a ring tone, it would surely be the purr that Chris King hubs make!

Built up with double butted black spokes (and brass nipples) and No-tube Arch rims, this wheelset offers an excellent balance of stiffness and lightweight. The subtle pewter anodising of the hubs should create beautiful palette against the Grinch Green of Pete's frame.

After building up these wheels, the Mountain Pedaler is almost Grinch Green with envy!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Steve shreds in Vegas

This just in from the Mountain Pedaler's northern correspondent, Steve Lee...

Well what can one say about the trip to MTB heaven......... AWESOME we did the day trip thing and had about 5 hours of riding taking in A trail, tickler, frontal lobotomy, Billy T, split enz, pondy, pondy new, chop suey, spring roll, b rude not 2, then out on club trail and exit trail. Just a totally awesome days riding. My best day out on the trails ever. El as usual took every thing in his stride. Steve as usual couldn't wipe the smile of his face.

After a weekend on the trails around the SS nationals, I'd have to agree that Rotorua trails are hard to beat. For anyone out there who hasn't experienced the epitome of flow, get your wheels up there and shred!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Fear and loathing in RotoVegas

Aaron

The inaugural NZ Singlespeed Champs held last weekend on the sweet flowing trails of Rotorua. A huge crew of four El Toro riders made the trip, locking in the magic 2:1 ratio for a shred around the world renowned trails in the company of some 250 other unophiles.

Dayle

The event was one of the most eagerly anticipated races of the Mountain Biking calender, and despite high expectations the event turned out to be so much more than just a race.
A festival atmosphere permeated throughout the weekend, making for a special event that will not be quickly forgotten by the Ventana crew of Aaron, Dayle, Pete and Ollie.

Pete

Despite damp and cold conditions for the race itself, the secret revealing of the course coupled with the Le-mans style running start left everyone with an ear to ear grin.
One can only imagine what Nanas on their mid afternoon ramble would have thought when the happened upon several hundred mad bikers running awkwardly towards their bikes only to swarm around the tiny ribbon of single track as they headed off for the first lap.

Pete locks in the magic ratio!

Beer shortcuts were on offer for those of strong constitution, with the resulting antics no doubt making for some amusing spectation opportunities.

At the head of the field, mustachioed space monster Garth Weinberg took a well deserved win, with another local Anika Smail demolishing the woman's pack.

Ollie finished in the sharp end of the field, with Pete pulling off a strong performance, especially given he returned to retrieve a dropped pump during the running start!

By all accounts Dayle was charging at the front (4th for the first few laps), before the tight trails (or one too many beers!) got the best of him, retiring after a series of painful crashes.
Aaron suffered a bout of ill health and also withdrew, or perhaps simply couldn't resist the draw of sponsors product on tap!

A big thanks to Pam and Todd (Pete's parents) for some amazing hospitality. Luxury transportation in the VW as well as gourmet food and great company all made the weekend memorable.

A fantastic weekend by all accounts, and one to mark on the calendars for all riders out there with a penchant for the pleasure and pain of singlespeeing!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Pete's Green Bull

El Saltamontes rider Pete Fyfe has just finished building a sweet new Grinch Green El Toro.
Just in time for the Rotorua Singlespeed nationals, the Auckland rider will be shredding the course aboard this beast which was specced with some very juicy bits (brakes included!)

In a true testament to the legendary customer service of the Ventana factory, Pete took delivery of his frame in only three weeks. No mean feat considering the custom cable stops and colour he ordered.
Pete and the rest of the Ventana crew will be easy to spot at Rotorua, as the grin inducing geometry of the Toro should make them stand out amongst a field of grimacing and cursing singlespeeders!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Wish you were a Kennedy?

Kennedys on the charge! Photo: The Press

Ventana rider Steve Kennedy just sent in this report from the Cyclic Saga, an epic 2-day MTB rogaine held yearly in a secret location in the Canterbury region. This years event was at Fox Downs, and 200+ mad bikers took to the hills with only maps and instinct to guide them.

What the well dressed cyclists wears; Salty, home-made mapholder,
XTR gears, Avid Mech Disk brakes

Rogaine is essentially orienteering on a bike, and Steve teamed up with his brothers to navigate their way around the course.

"Where the hell are we?"

Steve had this to say:

Thought I’d give you a bit of an update on the latest outing of my Salty. Recently completed my 10^th Ground Effect Cyclic Saga with my two brothers, first time on the blue beast. Have to say, it was absolutely fantastic for this kind of two-day epic. Covering all sorts of x-country terrain and unfortunately masses of undignified cow sh*t ... Being able to handle everything from vertical uphills, downhills, farm roads, single track etc – just brilliant. It handled things far better than I and the bike was even dignified in the sections I had to walk.

Day 1 campsite; hot shower, hot coffee, BBQ and beers.
Doesn't get any better!

Truly an epic adventure! Thanks for your report Steve, and it'd be great to hear about next year's ride...

Mountain Pedaler out..

Ventana cleans up (again) in muddy 12hr

Oliver after his 8 hour helping of mud pie
Photo Dean Hamilton

Straight off the back of last weeks Nelson Enduro, Oliver made the trip to the normally sunny Hanmer for an assault on the 12 Hour Night/Day Race.
As a solo entrant, Oliver had the odds stacked against him but prevailed in arduous conditions to complete 17 laps of the sloppy course; a full lap ahead of the nearest competiton!
Safety concerns forced organisers to shorten the laps, then the race to 8 hours and 2 sets of Vesrah pads (courtesy of Slim at SR) and a bottle of chainlube (expertly applied by Dayle and the Bike HQ bandits) were vital to keeping the big wheels of his El Padrino rolling.

In only his second foray into super-endurance racing Oliver reported having an enjoyable ride, but is undecided as to whether he'll crank up the 29er Ventana for future 12 hour races.

Mud caked brakes and chainsuck were the order of the day

Monsoon attacks at Nelson Enduro!

Sue winds it up for her first dry lap...

Last weekend a team of Ventana Gringos embarked on their first 12 hour assignment; the R&R Nelson Enduro.

Usually renowned for it's awesome course, the organisers didn't fail this time round, although pinch climbs and the threat of an impending monsoon served to halve the number of teams at this normally well attended event. Hard core bikers who did turn up were treated to some premium single track riding.

Jane Rose on her maiden race aboard an El Fuego pumped out smoking first laps, Oliver following with another two, powering the El Padrino 29er to a position at the lead of the field. Sue and Jo aboard El Saltamontes put in some solid times before the rain began to set in, and the track began turning to mush.

Climbs that were previously on the edge of rideable became traction sucking quagmires, and water began to pool on descents, giving the riders a muddy but refreshing shower.

Still team Ventana soldiered on, braving the tough conditions to spit out consistent lap times; no mean feat given the deteriorating conditions.

Many riders enjoyed the conditions so much,
they took home part of the track with them!

It was no surprise when the organisers decided to shorten the event to 8 hours, and after 6 hours of hard slog in the rain the pop-up caravan was hastily popped-down, and muddy bikes and bodies were stashed in the comfort of the car.

Recovery of the day to Jo, who after being headbutted off the side of a bridge by a wayward solo rider jumped back on and pulled off another lap, a testament to true grit!

Munter of the day to Oliver who was so caught up in his first lap excitement that he took a two minute detour. Perhaps his failure to attend race briefing had something to do with it!

Kudos also to Aaron whose single speed team placed first overall. His choice of an El Toro with 2:1 ratio was ideal given the chain suck inducing muck that was being thrown around. Aaron also scored the fastest lap time proving irrefutably that gears are indeed an unnecessary luxury (if you have the determination and legs of an ox!)

Aaron shredding the course on his Toro

The Ventana team recorded fastest lap times for both genders in the mixed division, with Jane and Oliver pulling off flyers during the early dry laps.

Finishing second in the mixed category, the team showed courage and determination in the adverse conditions. It is riding experiences like the one they survived that make mountainbiking challenging yet rewarding, and despite mud caked bikes and faces it is safe to say that not one of the Ventana Gringos would have rather been somewhere else!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Coppermine Epic; madness on MTBs

In the current age of dumbed down MTB races (particularly in the Christchruch MTB scene with its infamous Bottlelake and McLeans island road races) it is refreshing to see a growing group of truly challenging XC events, none more so than the aptly named Coppermine Epic held in Nelson on the 22nd of March.

Race day dawned cool but clear, and Ventana rider Oliver lined up against the quality field with a mixture of World adventure racing champions, National XC champions and even an Olympian roadie!

Pace off the gun was furious, with local whippersnapper George Bennett putting on the early pace and leading up the Dun Mountain walkway, the classic gut buster and all the way to the top the 900m Fringe Hill climb. With a strong group of riders ahead at this point, Oliver was some minutes back, choosing to leave some juice in the tank for the 25km of technical gnarl that was to follow.

And follow it did, as the track ducked and dived through the beech infested Black diamond ridge much to the delight of riders who enjoy a technical challenge.

Up the front of the race, single track demon Dayle McLachlan had passed George Bennett, and was clearly in his element, holding off the hard charging Nathan Faavae who is renowned for his bush bashing prowess.

The race then joined a rocky mineral belt trail, where toxic elements that prevented bush cover also made for a unique riding challenge akin to riding a set of stairs laiden with fist sized rocks.
Here is where Oliver made his move, pulling in 1, 2 then 3 riders as he charged through the hike n' bike section and through recently cleared scrub.

The race then hit Boulder Valley, where all but the craziest riders were forced to shoulder bikes and embrace a cyclists worst nightmare; a downhill run!

Gradually the Boulders got smaller and the trail more flowy, carrying riders down the valley on with a a perfect amount of gnarl. The descent was so good, Oliver rates it as the single best section of his race season!

The final dash to the line was a 5km blat down the Maitai valley, where Oliver came across George Bennett spread eagled on the track. In a bizarre turn of events George had survived the technical challenge of the upper part of the course only to crash and injure himself on a baby-bottom smooth section of road!

Another unfortunate victim of the trail was local crazy guy Stu Thorpe, as the front tire on his rigid single speed gave out on the drop before the final river crossing, throwing him over the bars and hopefully knocking some sense into him!

Oliver crossed the line in 6th place 2 hours and 38 minutes, some 15 minutes behind winner Dayle. After some bad luck in the past weekends race is was great to see him bounce back and pull off an amazing result, especially in light of the quality field he left in his wake.

As always, Oliver's El Saltamontes was faultless, despite the beating dished out on the hike and bike sections. With 4" of travel, the frame made an ideal compromise between steep-hill rideability and plush travel to take the edge of the rugged Boulder strewn descent.

Also aboard an El Saltamontes was Ventana Veteran racer Susan Heydon. She completed the slightly shorter Enduro course in a respectable 4hrs and 32 minutes, navigating the same technical descent with aplomb.

The Coppermine Epic was an amazing event. It was exceptionally well run given the remote and risky nature of the course. Events of this kind which push the boundary of XC riding should be supported, and if the raving of some racers at the finish line is anything to go by, it should not be too much of a stretch!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Rollin' through the Rainbow

The Toro at rest after a hard day at the office

Ventana rider Oliver pulled off a stunner at this weekends Rainbow Rage; a 106km adventure ride from St Arnaud near Nelson to Hanmer Springs.
Riding his El Toro with a monster 34-13 gear, he powered his way to 4th overall and first singlespeed by half an hour!
Despite numerous mishaps such as loose handlebars 10km in, and a puncture at the 30km mark, he dominated the field, proving that one gear is indeed all you need.
Oliver describes the final 6km brake burning descent as the highlight. Approximately 1 minute down on 4th at the top of the climb, he drifted through the deep gravel corners to catch then pass the rider at the penultimate corner. The El Toro's legendary geometry no doubt assisted this smoking downhill run.
A great finish to an awesome ride, and excellent preparation for the Single Speed Nationals in Rotorua where a field of no less than 4 El Toros is expected to front up. Expect to see Oliver and the Ventana crew dish out a lesson in one-gear riding.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana conquers Triple peak challenge!

This just in from Steve, a recent addition to the Ventana whanau...

"Just a note to say that me and my Buddy Anton did the triple peaks challenge yesterday. The El Ciclon performed admirably, she didn't miss a beat dealt with everything with no problems at all. The rider let her down a little and pushed up a few hills instead of riding her, but all in all a good day was had, finishing time of 6hrs 50mins. "

Steve also reported a few endos from his team mate Anton, which I'm sure were very amusing (expect for he man himself!)

Nice one Steve and keep up the good work!

Mountain Pedaler out..