Commander Sherman reports for duty

When one imagines a tank, flow and finesse are probably the last images that come to mind, but the latest Ventana to join the Mountain Pedaler NZ test fleet oozes these belt drive enhanced charms.
Dubbed Sherman after the bad ass freedom crushing tank it shares a colour scheme with, and utilising the latest Carbon Drive technology, this bike blasts into a new world of riding simplicity.
Pundits claim the belt lasts almost 20,000km with no lube required over its life. The prospect of such low maintenance has at least one bike obsessed person fizzing at the bung.

Spin (or rather grind) legs here...

Cog turns here.... not a chain in sight.
Sprocket eye-view

Belt drive in action!

Based on an El Commandante frame with Sherwood Gibson's masterful sliding dropouts, the rear driveside dropout can easily be split to allow a belt to be used.
Rolling on big wheels sans gears is a new concept for the Mountain Pedaler, but early indications are that the innate rollability of the 9ers enhances the SS experience.
Sadly the faithful El Toro (Migel) is being retired from the fleet, but has been farmed out to greener pastures and there is no doubt that he'll give as much joy to his new owner as he has to myself and a number of long-term testers.

Military issue Hope X2 brakes round out the stacked build kit.

Sherman is available to anyone wanting to give the Carbon Drive a burl. As always we'll keep you posted with his adventures around the land (once his missions have been declassified).

Mountain Pedaler out...

Jo's El Saltamontes

Hot off the workstand is this unique concoction of form and function. Jo has in recent times been drifting through life as a bikeless soul, and in an effort to change this collaborated with the Mountain Pedaler to spec and build a new El Saltamontes, resplendent in metallic blue.
The base ingredient of this white hot creation was Ventana's own Shimano XT build kit, complete with a sprinkling of Thomson and Chris King. Add to the mix a custom wheelset using the venerable Hope Pro 2 hubs on white ZTR 355 No Tubes Rims, and things started to get a bit racier. 2010 Fox F100 forks and the new boost valve equiped RP23 shock keep things plush in the gnarl. The finishing touch was a set of Gore Ride-on fully sealed cables in white. Proven in the muckiest of UK conditions these cables should see Jo with slick shifts slicker looks for years to come.
In what has been a recent theme of builds into the wee hours of the morning, Ollie and Jo assembled the bike with care, fueled by the bike building wonder food of fish and chips. Building from the ground up to Jo's dimensions resulted in a great fit, while and Ollie's technical recomendations produced a race ready bike that matches her aspirations for versatility and low maintenance.
Jo hit the hills for a maiden ride today, and if the post build spin was any indication, her new El Saltamontes will have rocked some socks!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Adventurer Al's latest epic...

These spectacular vistas can be found in the South Island's Dobson Valley

Ventana owner and intrepid adventurer Alistair Brown has just sent in these pictures of Dobson Valley, the latest mission in a series aboard his El Rey.
He reports his big wheeled machine is still charging some 2-years since its maiden ride. The big wheels and plush suspension chew through the miles on multi day epics with ease.
I would say keep your eyes peeled for Al, but the fact is he'll probably be out in the middle of Nowhere (or Erewhon?) exploring remote parts of our country in a way that puts riding on local trails to shame.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Bikeasaurus Lives!

NZ's newest Ventana aficionado, Jeff has just this week taken delivery of a slick Ventana X-5, specced to fill the difficult bike category (thrashed by marketers) of an 'ultimate-all-mountain-freeride-trail-racing-everyday-machine'!
The melange of categories comes as no surprise given Jeff's unique riding style, and the personalised build fits his multifaceted choice of disciplines like a Troy Lee.

After a bad experience with a bike from a certain dale of medieval artillery, Jeff sought to hang only the nicest parts of the Grinch Green canvas, the result being a who's who of bike bling oozing performance and style.

Highlights include hot-off-the-boat brown Chris King ISO hubs on No tube flows, Fox Talas 36 RC2s, a King sotto voce headset, Thomson seatpost and stem and the crown jewel, a set of Hope Tech M4 brakes.
The attention to detail on this later item is amazing, and due credit must go to the slave CNC robots that whittled the block of billet alloy into the masterpiece of hydraulic control that adorns Jeff's bike.

Jeff is fortunate enough to be leaving the soggy NZ climes for British Columbia, Canada, where the technical riding is sure to blow his mind. Whether stage racing or shredding the nuggety trails of the North Shore, Jeff's new Ventana should see him climb and descend in both comfort and style.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Give it heaps for the Heaphy!

Nydia Bay. If the Heaphy is even half as epic it is well worth fighting for!

The Heaphy track in North-West Nelson has long been forbidden fruit for New Zealand's mountainbikers, with a bushell of premium singletrack off limits due to the tracks location within the Kahurangi National Park.

The track begins near Rockville in Golden Bay and traverses some of this country's most picturesque and ecologically diverse areas, largely due to the geological buffet that forms the park's ridges and valleys. After 80km of bliss the tracks ends in Karamea. Riders of the older school were allowed access before the status of the park was changed, and recall memories of riding the track with a twinkle in their eyes.

T-Dog on the Nydia. This could be you on the Heaphy!

Given this, it is no surprise that mountainbike access to the Heaphy has been the subject of much campaigning to the Department of Conservation (DOC). A decade or so of concerted effort is finally bearing fruit, with a revised draft plan allowing seasonal access between May and October now out for comment.

In stark contrast to earlier interactions with government departments, DOC have made the process as easy as pie!
What better way is there to exercise your democratic right than voicing your support for the changes to the management plan. The plan itself can be found here, with an easy online submission form and guidelines for voicing your views provided. Section 4.1.A (Page 76) is of concern to mountain bikers with details of the proposed access arrangements provided. The deadline is the 4th of September, so be sure to put a submission through before then.

So give it heaps, and we could all soon be riding the singletrack jem that is the Heaphy!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana's juicy new treats from Sea Otter

Sherwood and the crew from Ventana are regular attendees at the season opening Sea Otter Clasic in Monterey, California.

It is a great chance for customers to meet the crew behind the brand, and sometimes they even tempt the crowds with developments to be rolled out in the next year's range.

The 2010 offerings have left this Ventana aficionado amped for the official release!

First-up, the El Chivo. Ventana's 69er offering that mirrors the party-up front, business in the back stance of the full suspension El Chucho (available now).

El Chivo 69er hardtail - New for 2010

The combination of wheel sizes should offer a truly unique mix of roll ability and acceleration.

Even more exciting are the single speed developments. Pioneered by Spot brand several years ago, the Carbon Drive Belt system is among the most exciting development in bicycle transmission since the advent of the chain (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth!)

Carbon drive belt equiped El Commandante for 2010

Hopping aboard the revolution, Ventana has developed a fantastically functional sliding dropout system that allows this technology to be partnered with the stiffness and superior handling of the El Toro and El Commandante for a amazing single speed package!

Close-up of the drive cog

Mountain Pedaler NZ hopes to secure an early sample of the belt equiped Toro for the test fleet, allowing the system to be put through its paces. Touted benefits include no required lubing and a belt life of over 10000km!

Singlespeeding will never be the same again!

El Toros and El Commandantes will still be available with the dependable Bushnell EBB, but the new sliders will also be offered as well as an optional belt kit to take full advantage of the exciting innovation.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Bluey takes a Naseby holiday

Bluey in trail mode as Craig contemplates a backflip

This from Ventana test rider Craig Tregurtha who has been riding the pants of an El Saltmontes test bike dubbed Bluey. He hit the North Otago riding mecca of Naseby for their infamous 12 hour race, with some great results!

Actually, it wasn’t much of a holiday as poor Bluey got pushed pretty hard. There were 156 teams and the magnificent Bluey helped us to get 2^nd overall, just 4 minutes from Ryan Cull’s Cycle Surgery Team. A brilliant all day battle where 1^st place was swapped backwards and forwards on several occasions till their team did a couple of flying laps at the end to secure their gold medal position. This race was the test for me for the Salty. She was heaps of fun on the Port Hills and the West Coast but I wanted to push it hard in a race, and the result? Big thumbs up from me, that’s what. I was really impressed and felt like I stayed in touch with the track at all times and never felt loose or on edge despite pushing it harder than I have ever pushed my hardtail. And it still climbed well too. We then went out yesterday for a 2 hr blat around the more technical trails and I fell in love with mountainbiking all over again. The fun trails helped a lot, but the way I feel on that bike in that sort of terrain is better than eating boysenberry ice-cream on a hot summer’s day.

Craig Catches makes some G's on the Naseby's famous dipper

Look for Craig aboard Bluey at this Sunday's Yahoo Challenge, the final of the Canterbury XC Series. Oliver will also be dusting off his El Fuego for a final late-season fling.

Mountain Pedaler out...

NZSSC 2009: Andrew T survives the madness

Andrew was shell-shocked post race

The New Zealand Single Speed Chamionships are one of the Mountain Pedaler's all time favourite events, and while Oliver was gutted to miss this year's festivities, the Ventana crew were well represented by Andrew Torrens; Kawarau local and El Chiquillo riding pinner. This from the man himself...

I thought I would let you know that the single speeds was super fun. I had a blast at the race, using the beer shortcut a couple of times to finish 84th out of 117 in the open mens. I had a crap start though, they reshuffled all our bikes while we were out of sight for the le mans start and I could’t find mine for some time, then got caught in the ensuring bottle neck to get into the single track. Never mind. I think I had too much fun though, cause I’d quite like a cosmic orange toro with a chris king SS hub now...haha!

Sounds like Andrew had some good times making it through the race with all limbs intact. NZSSC clearly lived up to the hype, and is without a doubt the single best mix of bike bling, beer and excercised induced exhaustion ever.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Backyard Events ride Ventana

Craig ready to ride

Half of Christchurch's Backyard Events is Craig Tregurtha, a trackbuilding legend and all round nice-guy.

I have personally witnessed the man take a boulder to the chest (with resulting rib injury) in the name of crafting the perfect singletrack corner, so there is no questioning his comittment to the cause of improving mountianbike riding in Christchurch.

As you'd expect Craig is also a keen biker himself, and has been rolling on a well loved Kona hardtail for some years. With a test El Saltamontes becoming available, we jumped at the chance to have a local hero jump aboard for a long-term test.

Bluey enjoys the view

Having not ridden a full suspension frame the comparisons with his antiquated hardtail are pretty interesting. This from after his first ride...

I did a good solid 3 hr ride today up and down all the trails out the Eastern end of the Port Hills (Captain T, Greenwood, Godley, Anaconda etc) to test out this new puppy on some good rocky stuff. I was blown away with how at home I felt on it. It just felt so good! Was doing lots of testing with the 3 rear shock settings to see what is best for climbing different sorts of trails. Riding down trails like Greenwood the bike just soaked up the rocks and bumps like I have never experienced before. It was fantastic.

Check out the Backyard Events website for frequent updates as he explores the trails in around our fine country on perhaps the ultimate all-day trail machine!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana Factory Price Drop!

As you are all aware, we are trapped in what the mass media refers to as a 'crisis of economic confidence', and this very reason is spouted as justification for all manner of price rises.

Despite the tough conditions, the team at Ventana are a shining light in the economic gloom, and Mountain Pedaler NZ are proud to announce they have recently dropped their 2009 prices to match those in 2008!
This represents a huge saving across all their frames, making the pinnacle in handmade mountain bikes significantly more affordable.

To sweeten the deal even further, these price drops also include frame upgrades that were made stock in 2009. So now customers c an pay the cheaper 2008 price, but also receive for example an upgrade to the Fox RP23 shock and Quad bearings on the El Saltamontes and El Ciclon. These upgrades are recommended by the Mountain Pedaler, and widely chosen by customers.

Coupled with the recent lifting in the New Zealand Dollar, which is now nudging the US $0.60 mark, the phenomenal ride and build quality of a Ventana is now much more affordable.

Cheers Ventana and thanks for giving us a reason to turn the economic frown upside down!

Feel free to get in touch for a quote and to get your build underway.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana riding Gorilla wreaks havoc!

The weekend of the 28th of March, Christchurch riders were blessed with fine weather, and some of the region's keenest racers swarmed to Living Springs for some XC racing action.

Another gem in Backyard Event's crown, the Living Springs course is the culmination of more than 1000 hours of volunteer labour producing a twisty and universally rated circuit.

The morning race was a mass start XC event, the third of the Canterbury XC series.
In a recurring theme, Oliver pounded out a lightening fast start, and took Auckland pinner B. Tilby's wheel into the first singletrack, just ahead of the young phenom Anton Cooper and the equally awesome B. Hudson.

Brad's unfamiliarity with the course produced some sketchy moments on the descent, but when it turned upwards he peeled off, letting Oliver and Anton shred the climb.
Power to weight triumphed on the day and it was the last Oliver saw of the young pinner who went on to post some scary fast laps including a 13:11 final lap!

A crash put paid to Oliver's plans of a good finish, but he rallied on the final lap to pull of third in the Open Men grade.

Less than an hour to recover and it was in to the afternoon's events; the South Island Single Speed Champs (SISSC for short).
After deciding to focus on the morning's events, Oliver opted for some fun antics in the afternoon, and chose to ride the ace in a fully fledged furry Gorilla suit.

Struggling with visibility through the tiny eye slits, Atilla the Gorilla (Oliver's afternoon persona) battled though the start loop to the amusment of the rowdy crowd.

After stripping off the asphyxiating rubber mask, gloves and gorilla toes Atilla proceeded to shred the course, stopping only to pick fleas from his fur or to chow on particularly enticing bananas, howling like a gorrila all the way.



3 laps and in and the extra 2 inches of fuzz was beginning to take its toll. Dehydration hit this gorilla like a punch to the face and it took an effort from some of the more altruistic crowd members to strip back the furry opressor.


In a cruel turn of fate, organisers forced Ollie to snack back on the worlds dryest snack; a Weet Bix. Safe to say that any moisture left in his body was used to devour this dubiously labelled breakfast 'treat'. Check the You tube footage for some ravenous munching.

The winner of the afternoon's antics was a scarily fast beer drinker/bike rider in the form of a PJ wearing B. Sharrat. He will represent the CHCH SS massiff with pride at the Rotorua nationals.

Oliver reports that completing the race in a gorilla suit satisfied one of his life long goals. The resulting levels of exhaustion will likely ensure he stops short of such nonsense in the future.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Bog snorkling at the Karapoti Classic

While event organisers claim the Karapoti Classic is the Southern Hemisphere's longest running MTB event (at 24 years), the 2009 edition could have also laid uncontested claim to another more dubious title; NZ's unofficial bog snorkeling championships.

Rain overnight left the 50km course slick and damp, with tire choice a bone for contention amongst the riders.

Oliver opted for Continental Race King Supersonics in 2.2" width. While not suited to loose conditions, the massive width provided just enough grip to keep his El Fuego in check on the infamous parts of the course including he Rock Garden and Big Ring Boulevard. Race Kings roll fast and their out and out speed in a straight line made them an ideal choice.

The race began with a full on swim through the Akatawera River, with riders crossing up to their shoulders through the rain swollen river. As the bunch regrouped on the other side, Oliver was well placed in the lead group, pushing the pace all the way up the Gorge and even staying in touch with the leaders past the first climb, cruelly dubbed the 'warm up climb'.

As soon as the climbing began in earnest he lost touch, the furious pace of NZ and Australia's star riders proved too much to bear. Understandably a bit demoralised, it took him till the Rock Garden descent to get back in the zone.

Those lucky enough to have ridden it will know that this single descent is enough to justify entry in the race. The 1km stretch of gnarl strewn with boulders, drops and baby sized rocks left Oliver grinning like an idiot, providing ample stoke for the hike-a-bike grovel up the Devil's Staircase that was to follow.

It was big ring Boulevard where he made his move. Dropping his Fuego into the 44 -11 and pinning the high speed corners, he ended the descent in a comfortable 10th place, with only the final Doper's hill to climb.

Determined to smash the final climb, Oliver dug deep into the receptacle of hurt, holding off a hard charging group right on his heels.
From Dopers it was only a long downhill stretch to the finish, with more of the same pace seeing him pull in several riders within sight of the finish.

A splash and dash across the mighty Akatawaera followed by sprint to the line and the race was done, Oliver securing 8th place in a quality Pro Elite field and finishing right on his goal of 2:40.

This year race organisers appear to have adapted to rider feedback regarding finishing the race in a filthy state. Crossing the raging torrent that was the Akatawera gave punters a complimentary high-flow pressure-wash for both bike and person.

A fantastic race despite testing conditions, with post race atmosphere and festivities rivalling the best in NZ. It is easy to see why the race is dubbed 'the classic'. Despite the odd bog to throw riders off, not one rider finished without a grin (or grimace) of some description.

Mountain Pedaler out...

SI XC Cup Round 3; Conquering the Peak

Oliver puts the hammer down in a lightning fast start
Photo: BikeNZ

SI XC Cup Round 2; Lost in Timaru

Round 2 of the South Island's premiere XC racing series was closer to home for Ventana's Elite XC racer. Oliver and his El Fuego needed only to drive 2 hours south to reach the bustling MTB mecca of Timaru.

His initial fears of a patsy gravel road bash reminiscent of a road race were dispelled in a cheeky pre-ride on the way down to Dunedin the week prior. What in fact lay in store for the riders was a 7 course degustation of singletrack.

Roots, rocks, gullies and mounds were strewn about Centennial Park and qudos must go to the skilled track builders who painstakingly weaved a sinuous ribbon of singletrack bewteen the parks features to create a symposium of singletrack.

Race day dawned hot and clear, but overcast cloud meant the forecasted 40 degree temperatures didn't eventuate. The start was as furious as expected, with Oliver catching a holeshot around the first corner on a young George Bennett's wheel, catapulting him up the order in a race where start position was crucial.

From the outset the pace was smoking, with the negligible elevation gains forcing riders to attack flat sections in order to make and close the gaps that formed on the singletrack. Long 14km laps allowed plenty of time for the race to play out, with the front runners trading positions and blows as heat and fatigue began to take their toll.

After his smashing start, Oliver was well positioned in fourth place for the first two laps, smashing the climbs and flats and using his best pump track impressions to recover on the downhills.

Oliver reeled in a fading Ash Hough within the final half lap and gave it everything to put in time on the latter part of the course. The deciding point in his race was a savagely steep pinch with 4km to go. Here Ash made his move and left Oliver in wake. Despite efforts to rally and climb deeper into 'the box' no gains could be made and Oliver finished only 20 seconds off the third position that was one of his season goals.

Still an exceptional effort in tough conditions and Oliver reports that as the season reaches it's pointy end that legs and head are starting to step up and punch with the heavy hitters of NZ XC racing.

Hard luck story of the day goes to Mr B Miller who had the misfortune of a triple puncture, the final tire tear sending him careening down a bank. He wasn't the only soul so suffer misfortune, and reports of heat stroke, crushed vertebae and shredded tires were abound at the conclusion of the tough course.

Focus now shifts to the final of the series at Coronet Peak in Queenstown. Look for Oliver to be hitting peak form as he claws his way up the Elite podium, one step at a time!

Mountain Pedaler out...

SI XC Round 1; Return to Dunnas

Grinding up the first climb of the day

The eagerly anticipated first round of the South Island XC Cup was held on an undulating course that traversed Otago's rugged peninsular coastline.
Early rain that put a dampener on the field's nervous warm-ups didn't eventuate to much, and riders were fortunate enough to be greeted with a glorious headwind of similar ferocity to those sung of in sea shanties of old.

Ventana's pro XC rep Oliver kicked the race off with a terrible start, and as the riders funnelled into the congested first climb (the biggest of the day at 350m vertical) the jostling for position became vicious.
Fortunately the usually mild mannered Oliver took to the challenge with vigour, and muscled his way to the back of the lead bunch in time for the first descent.

Slick, wet and slippery was the order of day, with careful brake use required to keep bikes on course and avoid the dreaded grass burn.
From here the course became a flat gravel bash, punctuated by steep climbs and whoopy paddock based descents. Midway through a flat section of the course Oliver reported running out of gears, clocking a speed of 50km/h as mother nature gifted riders a free ride to the finish.

With finish in site Oliver dug deep, pulling in several elite riders in sight of the finish. One gutsy passing manoeuvre proved worthy of TV superstar status; earning Oliver 2 seconds of fame on TV3s national news. Look for the Fuego rider 42 seconds in.

A solid 6th place and 8th fastest time was Oliver's reward for a day of graft. The highlight would have to be the tremendous tailwind. In an age where nature's climatically driven air movements are the ire of so many cyclists when faced with them head on, it was fantastic to be treated to a gale of such epic proportions from the tail.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Hot laps and a hotter day at the Vulcaniser

Ollie hot on Tim's wheel as they steam through lap 1

Photo: Aaron Allen

Adventure Events always put on a great show, none more so than the Vulcaniser. While the world class singletrack-fest is situated at the heart of a picturesque coastal sheep farm, riders were not to be fooled the heavenly surroundings would harbour racing conditions hotter than hell!

Fast starter Tim Madgwick got the holeshot up the first climb, with Ventana rider Oliver in hot pursuit. A dusty and loose descent ensued, then on the climb back to the start a bunch of riders swarmed past the early leaders, only a few seconds separating the leading group going into the second lap.

Still in touch with the leaders, disaster struck for Oliver on the second Slimline descent. The loose conditions got the better of him, causing a front wheel washout round a tight switchback and sending him flying off the track.

Dusty and distraught, Oliver nursed his crippled El Fuego round the course loosing a minute as he muscled the mangled derailleur hanger back into place.
Thanks to some next level support from El Toro rider Chris Harte, Ollie regained his composure and busted a set of hot laps to move back up the field.

Ollie cramming all he has into a tiny box on his 4th and final lap
Photo: Jane

Quintessential Christchurch pinner and proud father of recent twin grublets, Dayle McLachlan pulled out a blinding fast final lap to sit on Ollie's wheel into the final time up the Trimble climb. In a move reminiscent of the dirtiest roadie tricks, Ollie stalled on the final pinch, forcing Dayle to dismount and reportedly damage his 'man bits'.

Angering a pinner like Dayle was always going to be a risky move, and sure enough Dayle caught Ollie in sight of the finish and showed determination and mad BMX skills to take the sprint for first in Open Men by a gnats whisker!

Ollie eyes up the hotline

Photo: An awesome anonymous individual

A truly epic race and some great competition, with riders like Craig Tolson, Anton Cooper and Singlespeed nutter Chris Burr shredding the tough and technical course.

Shouts must go out to the Haven MTB crew for marshaling in the hot hot sun, Chris for some amazing cheering/jeering and Jo for her duties as technical hydration officer; a crucial role in the suffocating heat!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Ventana's 09 Pro XC Debut

Ollie shows his eagle-like focus on a drop.
Travel on the Fuego was frequently maxxed out on the technical Wellington course.

In his first Pro Elite hit-out of the 2009 season, Oliver packed his El Fuego into its cordura case and jumped a plane for Wellington. The final of the North Island XC cup was going down on a gnarly Mount Victoria course, and afficianadios of 'real' mountain biking would not disapprove of the course. Highlights included ring popping pinch climbs and all manner of fast descents with drops, jumps and roots thrown in to keep things loose.

Overnight rain left the track greasy as a greased pig but Wellington turned on a stunner with the course packing down and drying out for an all out speed fest in the afternoon.

Hooking a loose line round Hospital Corner at the back of the course.

The start sent riders on a hot lap of the velodrome before sending them up a gradual climb to the summit. With an abundance of young under 19 riders keen to show some pace the tempo was just as hot as the sunny summer Sunday afternoon.

Disaster struck on the first descent with Oliver's drink bottle ejecting, leaving him dry as a prune. Despite the heat he kept his cool, finally finding his feeder Joel on the 3rd lap and downing nearly an entire bottle in the space of 50m!

With consistent pace throughout the race Oliver pulled off a respectable 9th placing in the large field. A great start to the pointy end of the season with plenty of races to fine tune the form before his target event, the Nelson National Championships.

A big shout to Joel the pro-feeder, Rhys for the bed to crash in and Bela for her mean pre-race pasta.

Mountain Pedaler out
.

Ventana helps you get your build on!

All build kits come with a drool-worth Chris King headset!

The great folks at Ventana USA have come to the party for all those looking to custom build their very own Ventana, offering top notch build kits for the first time.

Available to anyone who orders a frame from Mountain Pedaler, customers can choose from component groups from both Shimano and SRAM.
Shimano groups contain a full complement of either XT or XTR bits, while the SRAM offering also includes the best Truvativ, Avid parts. All groups roll on either WTB LaserDisc trail wheels or the fruity Mavic Crossmax ST Disc, topped with the venerable Kenda Nevegal tires.

Testament to the attention to detail typical of Ventana, all groups come with perhaps the ultimate component; a Chris King Headset, second only to the Thomson bar and stem combo which is also included!

The uber-bling Thomson stem is included in all kits

Customers who opt for these build kits can expect a top notch pick of parts that should keep them happy and riding for years to come.

Lead time is a minimal 2 weeks, and substitutions can be arranged. Forks from Fox, Rock Shox and Marzocchi are also offered.

Get in touch with the Mountain Pedaler for a quote on your dream build!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Simon's El Terremoto

The newest member of the Ventana crew is Simon from Wellington.
His choice of ride is a 2009 El Terremoto frame, built with an intriguing front shifting system dubbed the Truvativ Hammerschmidt.

The system uses some mechanical wizardry to do away with the usual front derailleur setup, and the planetary gears offer the same range of gears as a 34-22 chain ring combination. A built in guide ensues chain doesn't drop and shifting can be done at anytime even pedalling backwards!

Hamish finished off the build with a tasty mix of parts including Fox forks, and a Gravity Dropper; the all mountain rider's best friend.
Keep you eyes peeled for this rig shredding the trails in Wellington. The laterally stiff, and plush sprung Terremoto chassis will no doubt handle whatever Simon can throw at it with aplomb!

Mountain Pedaler out...

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...