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...

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..