Feature: Shredding Queenstown
It would always astound me how, on any given day in summer, you could be standing in that hour- long lift line in the shadow of Skyline, watching an almost one-to-one ratio of international riders and pros alongside locals. People would flock from all corners of the globe to ride in Queenstown, and many would call it home for those key months as they trained for the coming season.
The world’s fastest weren’t the only ones preferring to use Queenstown as their base of operation though. Over the last few years, as the mountain bike media landscape has changed, so too has the way projects have been shot, with a major emphasis on the location. If you were to look at any random selection of film or photo projects, not just with Kiwi athletes, I guarantee the Queenstown Lakes region would feature.
Given the depth of talent residing in the south, it’s always baffled me as to why there hadn’t been a world- class event hosted on the slopes above the Wakatipu Basin. That’s not to say the likes of Mcgazzafest, or any one of the locally organised races aren’t world- class nor lack the talent pool, but rather an event recognised in all four corners of the globe.
When it was announced that Crankworx would be taking the show on the road in the form of a multi-stop summer series road trip, speculation began as to what the locations would be, and for what disciplines. It was of both little surprise and great excitement when it was finally announced that the downhill event would be held in Queenstown. It was the logical location for such an iconic event, and the rightful home in the minds of many. The biggest surprise was the addition of a pump track event held alongside, on what we’d later come to find was a brand-new course built to launch with the race.
The benefit of an event like the summer series coming to town, is that the circus brings with it some of the world’s best athletes, transplants them into a tight-knit community and creates the opportunity for local pros, riders on the fringe, and aspiring next-generation rippers to rub shoulders with some of the world’s best. Add to that a purpose-built course that’s then handed back to the community for all to use, in a town where that was the last thing remaining to complete the trifecta, and you’ve got everything anyone would need to progress and grow.
We couldn’t not attend the inaugural Queenstown CWX Downhill, with the stage set for it to be great. It wasn’t just the athletes; we were curious to see how it would compare to the Rotorua-based main event.
With our Covid restrictions changing shape, and easing somewhat, right on the eve of practice, I don’t think anyone quite knew what to expect. It wasn’t until race day when the storm rolled in that the true colours began to show. Overnight, between practice and race day, the heavens opened, soaking the steep and rather fresh course. What greeted us all in the morning was a mud bath, a complete slip and slide, and the makings of a mud race for the ages.
The orange-light open-season meant spectators were once again allowed trackside, and whilst Crankworx didn’t actively promote spectatorship, they came marching two-by-two, armed with refreshments to see them through the day. I don’t think anyone could have planned a wilder restart and race if they’d tried. The potent mix of a proper mud race and the event we’d all been waiting for combined with an easing of Covid restrictions and enthusiastic humans who’d been locked down for the end of winter, resulted in a heckle-fest even Crankworx staff were comparing to the heckler’s rock of old. Safe to say, it definitely made for some of the most colourful scenes I’ve ever witnessed at a race.
New Zealand featured heavily on the leader board, with Kiwis taking out the top five placings in the men’s division and Sam Blenkinsop nailing the top spot. Over in the women’s division, Jenna Hastings took out a solid 4th place, whilst fellow Kiwis, Melissa Newell and Kelsey Timpany, came in 8th and 11th respectively.
I don’t think anyone could have planned a wilder restart and race if they’d tried. The potent mix of a proper mud race, the event we’d all been waiting for, an easing of restrictions, Crate Day, excessive drinking and loose-moralled humans resulted in a heckle-fest even Crankworx staff were comparing to the heckler’s rock of old, and made for some of the most colourful scenes I’ve ever witnessed at a race. In other words: nothing short of complete mayhem. Off the back of the festivities and continuing the theme of ‘new and improved’, it was only fitting to hang around a couple of days, revisit some old faves, and go exploring to see what was new in the trail department.
GORGE ROAD
The benefits of mixing pros and locals has been prevalent for some time but, more recently, it’s been on full display throughout the Gorge Road Jump Park saga. After several stays of execution, and despite the best efforts of the Gorge Road riding community, it seemed that arguably the most iconic community jump spot in the world, would meet its end this year. However, with considerable effort from Gorge Road locals, including mainstays Nathan Greenwood and Remy Morton, Queenstown-based entrepreneur, Rod Drury, and legions of domestic and international riders, the future of Gorge Road has been secured for the long term.
To find out a bit more about what had been going on since the trails were saved, we headed down to Gorge Road to find out about the plans for the future. When we arrived, it was clear that a fair amount of work was underway in several sections of the park. Speaking with Remy Morton and Nathan Greenwood, finally having some long-term security over the future of the trails has meant that a commitment can be made to some key infrastructure work for the jumps. Both Remy and Nathan explained that a major focus for the rebuild that’s currently underway, is to improve the durability of the trails.
These durability upgrades include some extensive drainage work, along with re-grading the slope the trails sit on, and lowering the height of the sections between jumps. The plan is to have water drain away from the jumps more easily following wet periods, hopefully reducing damage to the trails after heavy rain.
Elsewhere in the park, Remy’s fellow Flux Trail crew members, Dave McMillan and Matt Begg, were busy stacking and slapping on one of Gorge Road’s many sculpted landings. The beefed-up landings are another one of the big durability upgrades that it’s hoped will accomplish the ultimate goal of having the jumps open to more people, more of the time. In doing so it will also help to ensure the high aesthetic standard of the jumps that Nathan and others have worked so hard to achieve, is carried on as a key feature of the trails.
As well as the infrastructure upgrades, the smaller lines in the park are receiving a major overhaul, while the old wall ride has been removed with a new extension underway to push the trails further down the site. Speaking with Nathan, he pointed out that these improvements and upgrades are one stage of building out his ultimate vision for the trails, that they’ll continue to work towards in the years ahead. A big part of that vision is having a place where young riders can come and progress themselves, not only as dirt jumpers, but as all-round riders.
The Gorge Road upgrades are just one of many trail upgrades and developments that are either underway, or have been completed, in Queenstown in the past few months. Later that afternoon, we found ourselves on the Skyline Gondola sampling some of Ben Lomond Trails refreshed trails. On the topic of refreshment, we stopped by local haunt, Searchlight Brewing, on our way back down Gorge Road, to sample some of their current offerings.
SEARCHLIGHT
In a town that’s pretty synonymous with hospitality, Searchlight doesn’t fit the standard mould of posting up on the lakefront and watching the sunset. Tucked away in Industrial Place, just up the road from the iconic Gorge Road trails, Searchlight takes a bit more local knowledge to find. With its inviting beer garden and tap-room, along with the brewery itself on full display behind the bar, it’s the kind of place you and your mates head to for a genuine experience. Speaking with Clayton, who’s recently taken over the brewery with his partner Sharon, from founder Lewis, his enthusiasm and passion for Searchlight is infectious. From comedy nights to live music and quiz nights, Clayton tells us that Searchlight wants to give the community a heap of different options to come down, hang out and enjoy some great beer.
Aside from acting as a hub for people to meet up and hang out, Clayton also wants to use the brewery to support different local scenes. A great example of this was Searchlight’s recent award-winning ‘can art’ on one of their newest Hazy Pale Ales, Ladies of Dog Town. Rather than going down the illustration style route, Searchlight collaborated with local photographer Melissa Clark and local female skaters to feature a photo of them skating down Coronet Peak’s access road. Word on the street is that another collaboration, paying homage to the Gorge Road trails, may be on the cards so look out for that at some point in the future.
SKYLINE
After some refreshments at Searchlight (but not too much) we headed over to Skyline for an afternoon rip with Queenstown shred lord, Reece Potter. Continuing the refreshment theme, Ben Lomond Trails trails received a massive and much needed refresh prior to opening for the season. First on the list for us was the rebuilt Vertigo, littered with pull-over gap options, shark fins and deep turns. One thing I always find with Queenstown trails, especially the jump trails, is how they always seem to have the perfect shape to them. This makes them a lot more predictable and fun to hit for the first time, as you can be pretty certain about how the bike’s going to behave as you go off the lip.
After dragging ourselves away from Vertigo’s endless supply of fun shapes, we had a brief interlude down the more natural GSD. In contrast to the open, fast and flowy Vertigo, GSD offers the perfect look into the darker, rocky, rooty side of the Ben Lomond Trails. Coming from a place like Christchurch, where the trails largely turn into an ice rink after some rain, I was a bit more apprehensive about the level of grip on offer down a damp GSD, especially on a blind run. As it turned out, there was a good amount of grip on offer, and we were able to make the most of GSD’s rock laden features. Near the end of the trail, things took a bit of a turn as Cam’s camera pack took him for a lengthy roll through the last set of said rock features.
After a mandatory roll through Thunder Goat’s scenic right hander, and a quick clean-up for Cam at the top of the gondola, we made our way down to the refreshed Original trail. In the past, this trail has always been a fun but fast run down the lower part of the hill. The refreshed version feels like it takes the shapes of Vertigo, merges them with a bit of Huck Yeah and brings them into the lower part of the hill. Flowy and fun are probably the best ways to describe the new Original, and the fact Reece and I were voluntarily pushing back up for another run through the features tells you pretty much all you need to know.
After a few runs through the epic series of new turns near the bottom of KY, and the final features down Original, it was time to cruise out to Arrowtown for a post-ride beer and dinner at the Fork and Tap.
FORK AND TAP
Our original plan had been to head to the Fork and Tap via the Slip Saddle and Bush Creek tracks that end up right at Arrowtown. A wet afternoon the day before saw Skyline open at midday and this, coupled with some big jobs lined up the following day, saw us taking the scenic drive out there instead. Ideally, you’d have a run right from the top of nearby Coronet Peak all the way down to the Fork and Tap at the bottom on a warm summer evening.
Housed in one of Arrowtown’s many historic buildings, the Fork and Tap offers a great post-ride atmosphere, inside and out. After being greeted by the friendly staff, we opted for a table inside and took our picks from the great selection of beers and food as the day wound down.
CORONET, HELI-BIKING AND FERNHILL
After easing into things the day before – in part thanks to the slightly wet start – we awoke to a sunny day and knew we were on for one. We headed out to Arrowtown to meet up with Reece before piling in the car and boosting up to one of New Zealand’s most scenic carparks, at Coronet Peak. Following through with yesterday’s original plan, we headed up to the top on the lift and made our way down the Coronet XC trail to Slip Saddle.
Slip Saddle always offers a challenging ride down and, with a little bit of moisture from the previous days’ rain, this time was no exception. After sliding our way down Slip Saddle’s steeps and gullies, we found ourselves at the top of the recently refreshed Bush Creek trail. While always offering a cruisy warm down after a Slip Saddle run, wet feet were usually a guaranteed outcome after Bush Creek. The recent work by locally based Elevate Trail Building, has added bridges, culverts or rerouting at all former crossing points, and made for a much dryer run.
After trying out some over-under lines on a new mega- turn lower down on the trail, we cruised down the denser lower section and out to Arrowtown. The much-needed lunch spot of choice was the Arrowtown Bakery where we got into the selection of pies, ‘footballs’ and cakes on offer. Then it was back into Reece’s van and up the Coronet Road once again to get the afternoon underway.
Originally, we’d planned on riding another one of Queenstown’s newest great trails in the form of ‘Upper Rude Rock’. Wet conditions once again messed with our plans, leaving the trail too soft to open, meaning we headed straight to the existing classic, ‘Lower Rude Rock’ instead. Scenic turns, scenic straights and high speeds are all par for the course down Rude Rock, on the way down to ‘Pack, Track and Sack’. A few fun fadeaways and turns later we found ourselves in Skippers, waiting for the heli.
This was a pretty big highlight of the trip – especially as it was the first proper heli-biking trip for Reece and I, and involved an epic flight up out of Skippers to nearby Bowen Peak. Even if you’ve been in one before, the excitement of a helicopter flight never really goes away, especially in an area that scenically stunning. Run by Helibike NZ, the ride had us dropped off at the top of Bowen Peak before descending on some fresh track to Ben Lomond saddle, Missing Link and Beeched As.
Feeling the pedal around the rest of Beeched As, after being out for quite a few hours by that point, we were hanging for the final descent back to town. Fortunately, we were treated to some epic late afternoon light out on the open part of the Fernhill descent, before plunging into the darkness of the trees. Near the bottom, we got to sample an unplanned freshening of lower Salmon Run, courtesy of heavy rain over the last two days. Although it’s something you usually wouldn’t want to happen, much of the lowest section now runs down the creek bed. This offers a few different line options and plenty of cool rock features to enjoy.
Finishing off the run with recent addition, McNearly Gnarly, and a Queenstown classic in Wynyard DH, we headed down to Atlas to cap off an epic day.
ATLAS
Finishing off a long day of riding down by the lake, with some good food, good people and one of the many great beers on offer at Atlas, is pretty hard to beat. Atlas has long been a big supporter of mountain biking and the mountain bike scene in Queenstown, through a whole raft of activities ranging from sponsorship and donations to the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club (QMTBC); sponsoring or hosting local riding events, like Season of Shred; to hosting end of season parties. A great example of this is the raising of more than $16,000 for the mountain bike club during the 2020 Season of Shred fundraiser.
Good relationships with local businesses like Atlas, and the support that they bring, has always struck me as something that QMTBC does really well. This kind of relationship and support really helps to strengthen that sense of community and the role that riding plays in it. Not to mention the activities, including trail development, that the club is able to undertake because of this support that helps to keep the scene progressing.
After going from hungry to full in a short space of time, we attempted to ride back up to the hotel to drop off the bikes before taking a sunset cruise back up to Coronet Peak to pick up the cars. There are definitely worse places to find yourself at 9:45 on a warm summer evening than up at Coronet Peak watching the basin glow in the fading light.
7 MILE
After the sizeable outing the previous day we were feeling pretty spent, so a cruise around at 7 Mile to check out some of the new trails was the perfect choice. Despite having been around for a while, 7 Mile hasn’t missed out on its share of the recent trail developments around Queenstown. The new Buck Land trail is the most recent addition and features a huge amount of impressive wooden features, as well as some nice natural chutes. The trail is another great example of the riding community, with support from local businesses like Altitude Brewing, getting together to build something new and different for the benefit of the local riding scene.
Once we’d checked out the range of features on offer on the new Buck Land trail, we headed down through the flowing jumps of Kachoong and Jack B Nimble. Both trails received a refresh in 2020 and offer a miniaturized bike park style alternative to a lot of 7 Mile’s more natural singletrack options. Dropping down Satan’s Corridor found us back at the lake front and ready to head back to town.
ALTITUDE, CANYON AND WRAP-UP
Our final afternoon saw us finish off the trip by checking out a few more Queenstown breweries. The first stop was at Altitude Brewing, another big supporter of the QMTBC and the mountain biking community. Having already been fans of Altitude’s beers before this trip, we were keen to visit the tap room and see what beers they had on offer.
After choosing from the varied options on the beer list, we had a chat with Altitude General Manager, Peter, who filled us in on the brewery’s identity and their community initiatives. Like Atlas, Altitude has been a big long-term supporter of the QMTBC via sponsorship and donations and even had a couple of QMTBC contribution awards on display in the tap room. Peter also explained to us that since its inception, Altitude has committed to donating a share of beer sales to a range of community organisations and groups, such as the Kea Conservancy Trust and QMTBC.
In a similar sense to Searchlight, Altitude prides itself on being a great community meeting place where people can come down and hang out in a relaxed atmosphere. With the brewery being visible from the tap room, and old kegs used for seating, there’s a nice sense of getting the product straight from the source. Peter told us that this down to earth community atmosphere, coupled with great beer, are core values for Altitude and something they always strive towards.
To finish things off, we cruised out to Arthur’s Point based Canyon brewing, sitting right next to the Shotover Jet. Relaxing in the sun in Canyon’s beer garden, with pizzas and a pint, was a nice way to finish off the trip. With so much great riding, backed up by a strong riding community and supportive local businesses, it’s easy to see why so many people are drawn to Queenstown as a riding destination. At the end of each trip, you always leave knowing that the next time you visit there’ll probably be another epic trail to ride or fun jumps to hit. It’s that kind of progression and development that keeps you coming back for more. •
• Thanks to: Destination Queenstown, Holiday Inn Express and partners.
Words: Nathan Petrie
Photography: Cameron Mackenzie
Review: New Earshots
Listening to music while riding can be pretty polarising. People are either really into it: welcoming the addition of tunes to their riding experience, either hyping them up or calming them down depending on the trail at hand; or they prefer to hear the uninterrupted noise of their bike gliding across the terrain, saving all their headspace for the task at hand rather than drifting off, following the music, or podcast, to a different place or time. Of course, then there are those people with a boom box wedged in a bottle cage whilst out in the forest….don't be one of them.
I sit somewhere between the aforementioned camps, preferring the whooping and hollering of my riding crew when there are a few of us or, if I'm solo (which I am for the majority of my riding) it's a single earbud, with the spare one winding around a helmet strap to stop it swinging up and slapping me in the face.
Although I've ventured into the Bluetooth earphone world before, it's always been a struggle to tick the necessary 'boxes', so I keep reverting back to the white wired classics. What am I after? First off, they need to bang – like slap, you know, not distort under the pressure of a heavy bass line, but also stay crisp at the higher clean notes; they need to stay put while riding; they have to allow just enough of the outside world in; they must be comfortable enough and have enough battery to wear for long periods; they need to operate as singles (rather than requiring both sides to be 'on'); and, just as importantly, they shouldn’t cost too much because, well, who knows what's going to happen while you're out riding. I'm not really asking for much, am I?!
Just when I'd all but given up hope of being able to find my ideal riding earphone, in rolls the Kiwi-designed and owned Earshots. I started noticing a slew of new online ads about them and saw that a handful of Kiwi riders had been added to their team. My initial interests piqued again and, days later, I landed a pair of the newly released Generation 2 Earshots. The game changed, and I wondered if maybe I’d just found the solution to my audio issues?
Presented in completely redesigned and recyclable cardboard packaging, the Earshots keep it clean and simple. Everything you don't need can be tossed straight in the recycling, leaving you with a charging cable and the industrial-looking case containing the actual earphones (which also doubles as a charging dock) and nothing else.
Like every other classic Kiwi bloke, I ploughed in sans instructions and after enough trial and error, but no swearing, I got them to fit correctly. Once they were on my ears, I figured I may as well read the instructions to see if I’d missed anything of note. The packaging has brief, but concise, instructions printed on it but that had already been ditched in the recycling bin, so a quick Google and, voila, I was deep in the Earshots website reading step-by-step instructions on how to fit them easily (unlike how I initially fitted them). I absorbed a few more operational details, sussed what the button on each unit did (skip track, pause, take a phone call) and I was ready for some tunes. The lesson here is: save yourself some time and read the instructions first!
The ‘Shocklock’ magnetic clip comfortably locks the earphones in place and gives you confidence that they're not going anywhere. The magnet isn’t noticeable, just a gentle hug of the ear and they're staying put. Simple adjustability means you can tailor the bud angle to suit the shape of your ear and ensure a secure yet comfortable fit.
My phone was out of reach (playing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' on repeat to get the kids to sleep - true story!) so I synced up to my laptop, cracked a coldie, opened YouTube and dove headfirst into an evening-long YouTube music wormhole. I started off with some Radiohead (In Rainbows Live From The Basement), and ended up with some Rage Against The Machine (The Battle of Mexico City) via Kendrick Lamar (King Kunta), Bon Iver (at AIR Studios 4AD/Jagjaguwar Session) and a bunch of other varied classics – see the full playlist below. This was a sufficient and eclectic mix to confirm the Earshots ticked the box when it comes to audio quality and pure sound pleasure.
When I’m not on the bike, I usually enjoy tunes on the over-the-ear headphones from the ‘Billionaire’ brand, for the full experience. Unfortunately, they're no good for any activity other than sitting still: on the stationary bike they get drenched in sweat, at the gym they fall off, and it's impossible to wear them mountain biking. But none of these are issues you'll strike with the Earshots. From a riding point of view, they do what they say on the box: they stay put regardless of how hard you’re “shralping”.
I'm honestly surprised how good the sound quality is compared to my regular headphones, there's not a lot of difference. I'm no audiophile but I know ‘good’ and ‘bad’ sound. Kendrick Lamar's 'King Kunta' has a deep bassline and the Earshots allowed it to truly shine where inferior units would crackle and pop; they certainly lean towards the more ‘bass-heavy’ end of the sound spectrum but, to be fair, that's what most of us are after when out riding, right?! The added bonus over many modern earphones, is that these don’t seal off the outside world completely, allowing some ambient sound to make it through to your eardrums.
While the Earshots have become my go-to earphones when doing any activity, they do have some small (but not deal-breaking) niggles. Getting them to sit just right on your ears does take some time to get right, the more you do it, the easier it becomes but they're not as simple as regular earphones to just throw on. The case does a great job of protecting the earphones, and recharging them while not in use, but it's pretty large. That's not a biggie if you're out for a normal ride, as you'll have ample battery life to get you through, but if you're on a multi-day, off-grid bike adventure (i.e. bikepacking) then you'll need the charging capability of the case, and if you're packing ultra-light you probably won't have room for it. I do wonder if the brains of the Earbuds, which sit behind each ear, might come into contact with some helmet straps depending on model and size? This is not something I’ve come up against personally, but might be worth keeping in mind. The only other feature which would be handy is a volume control on the earphones themselves, rather than needing to fish your phone from your pocket.
The bottom line is, if you like to ride with music or podcasts and you're still rolling around with wires between your device and your ears, you're missing out on the freedom, security, and audio quality of the wireless Earshots. Ditch the wires… even derailleurs are doing it these days.
Suggested bangers for your Earshots:
Radiohead - In Rainbows Live From The Basement
Shy FX - Roll the Dice ft Lilly Allen
Protoje - Who Knows feat Chronixx Shy FX Remix
Dub FX & Stamina MC - Only Human
MEUTE - You & Me (Flume Remix)
System Of A Down - Toxicity Live from BDO 2002
LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great (Live on Austin City Limits - Web Exclusive)
Bon Iver - Full Concert | NPR MUSIC FRONT ROW
Rage Against The Machine - The Battle of Mexico City
Distributed by Earshots
Reviewed by Lester Perry
Review: 100% Teratec Plus Elbow Pads
“I managed to avoid hitting any trees with my elbows, but with these on, I’m kind of tempted to give one a nudge anyway.”
Buying elbow pads is a bit like buying health insurance; you probably don’t really want to spend your money on it but, the moment you need it, you’re sure glad you did. 100% have a massive array of mountain bike specific protection on offer now, with four unique ranges depending on whether you like the full-on Iron Man level of protection, or something more understated that would fit in well at your local yoga class. Somewhere in the middle of all this is the Teratec+ range, and I’ve been putting the Teratec+ elbow pads through their paces for a few months now.
The Teratec+ are a full-sleeve style elbow pad. There are no straps or Velcro, just a stretchy mesh on the inner forearm and padding on the outer. The elbow pad is naturally curved, articulating just above the elbow which means that it moves nicely with your arm, without any pinching or bunching.
The main padding on the elbow and forearm feels a little like the G-Form style soft, putty-like, slow- rebounding material. Extensive googling couldn’t help me find out anything more about this but suffice to say, it feels sufficiently thick to stop the hardest of impacts.
Above and below the main line of elbow padding is a thinner foam pad, extending the protected area around your forearm as well as up and around the triceps area.
They feel like the most coverage and protection you can reasonably expect from an elbow pad that doesn’t utilise a hard plastic shell. Personally, I prefer pads without the hard shell as they seem to still offer ample protection for 99% of the scuffs that my elbows face, and get the benefit of increased flexibility and ability to form to your arm. There is also a band of silicone grip at the upper cuff to stop them sliding around.
On the trail the Teratec+ elbow pads felt great. The bend in the elbow feels just right and, after a few moments, I tended to forget they were even there – ideal really! The full-sleeve style is undoubtedly a hotter style pad than something that is really only covering a protruding elbow, but it does give a boosted sense of confidence on the trails. Riding in the spring and autumn, when temperatures are just a little bit cooler and the trails a bit more slippery, I think I would find myself wearing these frequently. The sleeve style helps them stay in place and they do a great job of not budging – even over the roughest terrain – without feeling restrictive. As luck would have it, I managed to actually avoid hitting any trees with my elbows during the review period but, with these on, I’m kind of tempted to give one a nudge anyway.
REVIEW: LANCE PILBROW
DISTRIBUTOR: FE SPORTS
RRP:$139
Feature: From Birth to Evolution
Four Forty Mountain Bike Park enters its sixth season of operation in 2021.
Back in November 2014, backing onto the Hunua Ranges just south of Auckland, in a previously little-known part of the North Island (for most serious mountain bike trail connoisseurs), Four Forty Mountain Bike Park opened to the public for the very first time. Fast forward to October 2021 and the park is entering its seventh season of full commercial operation.
The project, originally headed by Byron Scott and Aaron Tait – before Byron bought out his business partner in 2017 – has seen many iterations. Most recently, there has been trail work completed by Trailpro and sizable investments made in park infrastructure, in preparation for this coming season. In recent years, the park has been through its most visible changes largely due to pine harvesting, as the park operations are undertaken on a fully operational forestry block.
Not to worry – there is still plenty of lush native forest and pines to accommodate your party in the woods. Due to clear felling in sections of the park in the winter of 2019, several of the original trails have been fully rebuilt including Pretty Fly which, overlooking the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames, surely has the most spectacular jump lines in New Zealand.
Park developments are not limited to the trails. This season, substantial investment has been made at the base area. Previously, the park ticketing office, retail, workshop and bike rental was all run out of several well-dressed containers. What was a little too rustic to be safe for public use, the sheep shearing shed has been replaced by a much more permanent 150m2 building, including an office and retail space larger in size than most dedicated urban retail spaces. The character of the old sheep shearing HQ has been thoughtfully maintained, with a nod to the land’s previous commercial uses. This asset signals the permeance of the park and Byron’s intention to continue to improve all aspects of the customer experience. Surrounding the base building, over 4000 native plants have been placed as evidence of the thought and care that has gone into all aspects of the park’s current existence.
It has been no easy feat to reach this level of development in just six years with nothing but private investment from Byron himself, and with support from enthusiastic landowners who allow this activity to take place on a fully operational forestry block. It has been Byron’s enthusiasm for mountain biking, quality trails and seeing diehard customers return to the park to ride year after year that has fueled the efforts required to open and operate the park each season. In the early years, customers trickled though the gates and many issues with the management and operation of the shuttle vehicles put barriers in the way of consistent growth in the business. But, having spent so much time and personal money on the venture – to the point that Byron’s perseverance, coupled with a will to solve or work around issues that arose, is what eventually pushed the operation through the challenging startup years. Byron compares the journey to a crawl across the desert; “you are halfway across the desert – what do you do?”. It is this bullish approach, combined with Byron’s creative problem solving, that results in an approach to life and business for him that most would shy away from.
Once the formal years had been navigated, the key to the park’s growth — which has enabled the continued development towards entering this next phase for the business – has been the trail quality. When the park first went into operation, there was just six km’s of trail. Today, 22km of trail exists in the park, with a variety of trail styles and grades - the quality of which is rivaled by few commercial bike parks globally. The attention to detail in the construction of the trails – and, as a result, the ride experience for the customer – can only be described as a true feeling of flow. This is what keeps the core local and regional customers coming back and is now starting to attract users from an increasingly wider geographical area.
From narrow, off camber hand cut lines and a national downhill racetrack, to fast flowing digger- built lines and flowing jump lines, the park has evolved significantly. In the context of running a commercially sustainable bike park, it’s not just the trails alone that contribute to the overall experience of the customers; Byron believes this is the single largest contributing factor to attracting repeat business.
It’s not just the quality of the trails that bring riders from far and wide; Four Forty has been home to a swathe of national and regional events since day one, including Auckland Downhill Champs, National Cross Country and Downhill Series rounds, the annual 440 Gravity Enduro, National Secondary Schools champs and, of course, none other than the Dodzy Memorial Enduro.
The kickoff to the 2021 / 2022 season was delayed due to the recent Covid lock downs. With the park fully polished and ready for opening in September the momentum of park trail crew, and staff had to be redirected temporarily.
In true 440 spirit the situation was managed, plans were changed, and they made the best of the situation by distracting themselves and their customers by posting humorous content to their social media channels and by building their new fleet of Transition rental bikes.
The park was finally able to open for the season on the 10th of November albeit at reduced capacity to comply with current operational restrictions. Needless to say, the staff are happy to serve the customers and the customers are happy to be back riding at one of the best niche gravity riding locations New Zealand has to offer.
• Located a leisurely 50 minute drive directly east of Auckland Airport – or rather, 2 hours 45 from Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua – for the mountain bikers of New Zealand.
Words: Cam Cole
Photography: Sven Martin
Review: Trek 2022 Top Fuel
“The Trek 2022 Top Fuel responds really well to rider input and, as a result, is simply really fast.”
The process of evolution involves a series of natural changes that cause species to arise, adapt to the environment and, sometimes, to become extinct. From walking on two legs to riding bikes and now having the ability to ride bikes off cliffs at Redbull Rampage shows how far we’ve come!
Just like us, bikes tend to evolve too; the Top Fuel we’ve had on review for the last two months is a perfect example of that. Previously Trek’s XC race bike that evolved into a marathon bike, it has evolved again, and Trek fans might be wondering just what exactly the new Top Fuel is now?
Trek’s Supercaliber, with exclusive IsoStrut shock, 60mm of travel and unique pivotless seatstays, sits in the XC race seat the Top Fuel used to occupy in Trek’s stable. This has given the Top Fuel the opportunity to evolve out of that same XC space into something new, and that’s exactly what it has done.
So, is it a ‘trail bike’? Is it a ‘down country bike’? Or is it just what we also thought a ‘mountain bike’ was?
Previous Top Fuel fans might even be asking, ‘has it evolved too far?’
In New Zealand, the Top Fuel will be available at eight price points. As mentioned, we’ve had the 9.8 XT model, worth $8849, but it’s also available in two alloy models which offer the most affordable entry points; the Top Fuel 5 at $3799. Entry into the carbon options is the 9.7 ($6599), going all the way up to 9.9 XX1 AXS Project One, for $15,449.
So, what are the key changes that have been made in the process of evolution? For 2022, travel in the rear ups from 115mm to 120mm.
To be fair, 5mm extra travel isn’t really much of a game-changer but upping to 120mm sends a signal that this isn’t, in fact, a slightly evolved XC bike – this is definitely an all-new Top Fuel. Making all that 120mm of travel work, is Trek’s ABP rear pivot system.
We’ve always been a fan of this system – the rear axle pivot rotates directly around the axle point, and this allows Trek to tune how the suspension reacts to acceleration and braking forces independently.
At the lower shock mount, Trek’s flip chip style geometry adjustment, the Mino Link, lets you fine tune your frame geometry ‘on the go’.
In reality, it’s not likely you’d be doing that out on the trail but in the comfort of your garage, where you aren’t worried about losing precious shock hardware in the dirt, you can flip the Mino Link. Stay in low for a slack 66-degree headtube angle. Flip it for a quicker 66.5-degree headtube angle and a 7mm higher bottom bracket for more ground clearance. All of that is driving the RockShox Deluxe Ultimate RCT shock.
Up front sees the new Rock Shox Sid Select+ 120mm fork. At upward of $8800, we’d really love to see the Sid Ultimate, which gets the benefit of the improved Charger Race Day, over the Charger 2 RL that come on the Select+. However, you still get the full carbon OCLV frame along with Bontrager’s Line Elite carbon wheels, and a full XT build kit from tip to tail, including the superb 4-pot XT calipers and a 10-51 tooth cassette. Everyone seems quite particular about which drivetrain team they are on, so Trek offer their 9.8 and 9.9 models in either SRAM or Shimano build kits.
Out of the box, we personally liked the matte carbon look with holographic details around the edge of the logos. It’s subtle, smart and stealthy. This is the cheapest option at the 9.8 spec level. It’s also available in gloss black with a red swingarm, but this is essentially one of their Project One custom paint jobs, and you’ll pay an $1800 premium to get it. That’s some expensive paint.
For us, the pick of the bunch has to be the striking red/purple/yellow fade on the 9.8 GX build. Sadly, that one carries the $1800 paint premium too so will set you back $10,649 total. With all that in mind, the matte carbon XT option looks pretty good. To be fair, the Project One custom paint options that Trek offer are pretty amazing and their paint configurator is also a great way to kill an hour – don’t say we didn’t warn you. It’s cool to see companies allowing this kind of customisation.
All the housing is internal, which completes the sleek look. Your tool kit is also internal! Or it can be, if you want it to be, with a handy tool storage compartment integrated under the bottle cage and a complementary Bontrager Bits pouch to wrap things in. We can now confirm that alongside a small tool kit, you can also squeeze a long cream donut – in case you’re worried about going calorie negative during a ride (who says we don’t do hard-hitting journalism here at NZ Mountain Biker?!).
At the bottom of the down tube there is a plastic armoring to protect the carbon, and a chunky rubberised chain- stay protector to keep things quiet. Trek fans will see the return of the Knock Block, now updated to the Knock Block 2.0, which keeps cables from getting yanked out in a crash and protects the top tube. The only difference being that it now provides an improved 72-degrees of turning radius.
Interestingly, for an XC- ish oriented bike, there is only one bottle cage mount. This seems strange, as this kind of bike seems perfect for longer rides and maybe even marathon races. With 120mm travel, 66.0-degree head angle, and 2.4” tyres, the Top Fuel is set (on paper at least) to be a pretty fun whip and, as we’ve been saying, firmly has its place in the ‘trail’ category. The question Trek buyers might be asking is, ‘is this basically just a new Fuel EX?’ Looking at the numbers, you certainly have to wonder if the difference is big enough? And, if you’re tossing up between the Top Fuel and the Fuel EX, which one should you buy? The Fuel EX is a 130mm travel bike with a 140mm Fox 36 fork. They’ve both got a 66-degree head angle, their wheelbase is almost identical (121.5 for Top Fuel size large, 121.1 for EX) but the reach on the Top Fuel is actually longer (48.0 for the Top Fuel vs 47.0 for the EX). If anything, this probably just signals that the EX is due for a refresh, so we would be surprised if we didn’t see that for 2023, where we expect it will get a similar treatment with a bit more travel and a bit slacker head angle. That will make you wonder if the 150mm Remedy, the last remaining 27.5 wheel bike in the lineup, really has a place any more?
Anyway, all that is Trek’s marketing problems to worry about. Our job is to ride the Top Fuel we have today. Trek describes the Top Fuel as the perfect bike for riders who like to stay pinned both up and down the trail. The term ‘Top Fuel’ is a term associated with American drag racing, which is all about acceleration, so we were expecting this to be a bike that would draw on its XC roots and get up to speed fast – but with modern geometry and tyres that give confidence to push through the corners. Even though we spent two months on it, it didn’t take much riding at all to confirm this indeed lives up to its marketing team’s hype that the “Top Fuel loves to pedal up – lives for challenging descents”. At the end of our review period, we were left thinking, ‘this is the kind of bike a lot of people could be riding’. The Top Fuel gets so much right; the handling is sharp, and the suspension is both active and supportive. It’s the kind of bike that, when you get to the bottom of a rowdy descent and you know you’ve got a decent uphill ahead, you don’t drop your head and wish you were on an e-MTB; instead, you just get on with the pedalling – and might even find you’re kind of enjoying it. Our totally unscientific belief is that, thanks to effective marketing, more riders are riding longer-travelling, heavier, squishier (yes, it’s a technical term) bikes than perhaps the terrain actually requires, and this has really taken the shine off something we are doing a lot of the time, despite what we like to think: riding up hills. Part of this trend to longer travel and overall extra beef, has been about geometry. It has only been longer travel bikes that have had the matching geometry that inspires confidence at speed, or over steep terrain. But, with more modern geometry (read: longer, slacker) trickling into bikes like the Top Fuel, you now have the choice of riding lighter, shorter travel bikes with more confidence over technical terrain. Do you really need 160mm of travel for your everyday ride? Maybe, but probably not. Maybe you’re happy to ride a bike with less travel, but there just haven’t been shorter travel bikes with the corresponding geometry that makes riding downhills a real hoot? This is what the Top Fuel is all about.
Tyre choice can be one of the most significant choices in what terrain a bike will excel on, and with Trek spec-ing the new 2.4” XR4 tyres, they clearly had this in mind. They are noticeably chunkier tyres than you might find on a 120mm travel bike, and probably reflect the kind of personal changes most riders end up making to their bikes in time. The XR4 tyres are worth pausing on for a moment, because they really are a bit of a Goldilocks tyre: not too heavy, not too light – just right. We only mention it because so often tyres seem to just miss the mark. The XR4’s do a great job of hitting just the right balance of speed and control to enable the bike to do what it was designed to do. 2.4” might sound wide but, just like the nation tuning into daily press conferences, it’s the ‘new normal’.
On the suspension front, the Deluxe Ultimate rear shock does a superb job at managing the rear travel through rowdy terrain, however, it does tend to show the limitations of the Select+ front fork. It’s not that the fork is bad – in fact, there is a lot to like – but it has an incredibly light breakaway (to minimise stiction, the SID Select+ is now using Maxima Plush damping fluid and SKF wiper seals) which means it does a superb job at absorbing small trail chatter. But, with only 120mm of travel to work with, mid-stroke damping is critical, and this is where the Select+ can’t keep up. A damper upgrade is around $300-$400, so not insignificant. It’s worth pointing out that upgrading to the SID Ultimate fork is also something you can specify in the Project One bike configurator. Interestingly, Trek say the frame is rated for a 130mm fork as well so, if this was our bike, we’d be seriously considering flicking the fork at the outset and putting that coin towards a Pike Ultimate, which would take the bike a further step away from the XC end of the spectrum. We think this better represents the kind of riding that buyers would be purchasing this for and would make better use of the bike’s capabilities as a whole.
The Bontrager carbon wheelset is worth mentioning. Rolling on the Line Elite rims, they are built from proven OCLV Elite Carbon for an optimized blend of weight, strength, and durability. They held up well during our test. The 108pt engagement freehub delivers rapid pickup at the pedals, but is definitely on the noisier end of the spectrum so you’ll either love it or hate it. There is something kind of obnoxiously satisfying about coasting up behind your riding partner while your freehub is screaming at them, just subtly letting them know that you’re coasting right now and could they please speed up?
The Top Fuel’s strength is that it just does so much of what a lot of us actually do – really well. For a lot of riders, the majority of actual hours spent riding isn’t on either an XC or Enduro race track; it’s probably spent heading out for just a few hours, with a mate or two, once or twice a week. It’s riding a bit of everything; the up and the down – and actually wanting to enjoy both.
It’s not launching five metre gap jumps, but it’s not riding around the one or two metre gap jump either.
It’s the every day, every trail fun that is in the Top Fuel’s sights. It’s responsive, gets up to speed quickly and responds really well to rider input, such as pumping through rollers and, as a result, is simply really fast. It’s fun and efficient at every task and we think it will be a really good fit for a lot of riders. •
REVIEW: LANCE PILBROW
DISTIRIBUTOR: TREKNZ
RRP: $ 8 ,849
Column: Beer Guide
The idea of seasonality in beer is historically driven by necessity. In many European countries, the refreshing, cleansing beer styles were brewed and stored during the colder months, and ready for drinking as the weather warmed up and workers started earning a thirst under the sun. Styles such as Saison and Lambic in Belgium, wheat and lager in Germany, and pilsner in the Czech Republic, all benefited from a long, cool conditioning period over winter. Perhaps the most famous seasonal beer experience, is the annual Oktoberfest in Munich. Curiously, this event started as a celebration of the marriage of the future King Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, in 1810. As part of the celebration, a large horse racing carnival was held on October 18 and, for reasons that remain unclear, it was decided to repeat the event the following year which in turn started the Oktoberfest tradition. The horse racing stayed until 1960. Americans have really made a thing about the seasonality of beer, with their pumpkin beers in autumn – related to Halloween – as well as a tradition of strong, sweet and spiced beers at Christmas. In New Zealand, the concept of seasonality didn’t really exist in the era of big brewery dominance, when we got served the same beer all year round.
There were small dents in that monoculture; Emerson’s created a Winter Warmer more than 25 years ago - a beer that got reinvented as Taieri George - a spiced ale that’s released annually on March 6, the birthday of the late George Emerson, father of Emerson’s founder Richard. Around 20 years ago, Monteith’s created their ginger-spiced varieties, such Summer Ale, and made a Doppelbock for winter. In recent years, the autumn fresh hop season is fast becoming an integral part of New Zealand’s beer drinking culture, while we’re also seeing more speciality winter ales, such as imperial stouts, Baltic porters and doppelbocks released in winter. The cooler months also see breweries bring out more niche variations of IPA, such as Red IPA and Black IPA. These days, the idea of seasonality has been turbo-charged to the point where breweries make monthly, even weekly, short-term releases. There’s a flip-side to that as well, with many breweries creating annual releases of seasonal-driven beers – usually barrel-aged – with 8 Wired’s cult Feijoa Wild Ale a classic example every winter. In all this, there remains an idea that certain beers are best suited for certain times and climates and dispositions. Most people do not want a 10% imperial stout on a hot summer’s day – that kind of slow sipper does not deliver the level of refreshment required after mowing the lawns in the sun. So, now that spring is with us, there are certain styles of beer that are better suited to days that are drawing out but that are not yet searing hot, when that ice cold lager becomes the first thing you reach for in the fridge. Here’s a mixed six of great spring-time beers:
Epic Pilsner
Epic are known for their super-hop forward beers, and when they bring that mentality to a classic pilsner you get some real flavour ‘oomph’. This New Zealand-style pilsner sits somewhere between the traditional Czech pilsner and modern American Pale Ale. It’s lean, crisp and refreshing but with a nice hoppy hit of passionfruit and citrus from the New Zealand grown Riwaka and Pacific Jade hops. Epic don’t brew this beer all year round – and it’s just been released for the daylight saving months.
North End Bines That Bind Us
Saison is the classic seasonal beer – it’s there in the name, after all. Saison is a catch-all descriptor for traditional Belgian farmhouse-brewed ales that were made over winter and ready for the seasonal workers (saisonnieres) when they returned in the warmer months. The beers were partly for refreshment and partly for payment. They are dry, effervescent, spicy and with a perfumed yeast character that delivers an X Factor aroma. North End are one of the best producers of this style and this is a lovely hopped version with a real earthy character.
Sunshine Stockies Session Hazy IPA
Every season is hazy season these days, but when it’s warmer you want something lighter, drier and more refreshing than some of the heavier juice bombs out there. Sunshine, based in Gisborne have absolutely nailed the brief with this 4.2% ABV quaffer that’s jam-packed with guava, mango and white grape flavours. The palate is crisp, extremely fresh and compact.
McLeod’s Great Wave Japanese Dark Lager
A classic Japanese lager is the ideal summer slugger – they are brewed lightweight for easy-drinking. Adding a touch of darker malt, as McLeod’s have done here, doesn’t detract from the easy drinkability but adds a layer of intricate complexity with the subtle hint of cocoa. It’s the perfect season straddler and ideal when you never know what New Zealand’s temperamental spring climate might throw at you.
Sprig + Fern Creme of the Hop Nectaron Pale Ale
Nelson’s Sprig + Fern brewery has gone through a recent rebrand to create a more modern and direct look. And the beer that best encapsulates this new look is their Nectaron-hopped hazy pale ale. This relatively new hop – released last year – is proving a real hit with its pineapple and peach flavours, and this pale ale is a prime example of how to use it in juicy-fruity pale ale.
Altitude Brewing Jam Sessions Vol 3
Altitude Brewing, out of Queenstown, make some of the more interesting beers in New Zealand - but for a long time they were available only locally. Like many breweries hit by Covid-19 lockdowns, they’ve had to step up their online business, which means you can now get their beers delivered to your door. Jam Sessions Vol 3 is their third in a series of fruited sours, and was a huge hit at the recent Beervana festival. Boysenberries, blackberries and raspberries on a soft creamy base creates a fruit smoothie effect. Tart and refreshing – a beersie packed with berries.
Words: Michael Donaldson
Images: Henry Jaine
Review: Pirelli Scorpion XC RC Tyres
Pirelli are one of the world’s biggest names in tyres. You’ll see their logo on the sidewall of F1 cars, rally cars, superbikes and, strangely enough, super boats, such as the America’s Cup Prada Pirelli team. More recently, they have come into the cycling market - though their presence in New Zealand retail cycling shops has been somewhat minimal.
I’ve had the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC tyre on review since summer. The Scorpion is an XC race tyre that we tested in the 29 x 2.2 120TPI Prowall version. It comes in a 2.4 option as well, and a creatively named lighter ‘Lite’ version, which is also a 120 TPI casing. For comparison, our 29 x 2.2 ProWALL weighed in at 650g, whereas the Lite comes in at 610g.
The ProWALL version benefits from sidewall reinforcement technology that increases puncture protection and improves handling at low pressures. Essentially this is an additional layer of nylon fabric applied over the casing sidewalls for extra protection and improved cornering stability. The Lite version omits this, so you save 40g and get a more supple tyre, but you lose some sidewall protection. Both versions roll on the same rubber compound that Pirelli call Smartgrip, designed to provide constant high grip performance in both wet and dry conditions. If the bright yellow Pirelli team logo doesn’t match your bike’s colour scheme, they are also available in a plain black logo too.
A quick look at the tyre and it’s obvious who the target market is for this tyre - Iow profile central knobs offer minimal rolling resistance. The side knobs are still quite decent bits of rubber, though, so I was hopeful this would still be a tyre that gave confidence when pushing through the corners.
I was pleased to get these tyres a few days before I set out on the 1100km Kopiko Aotearoa bikepacking event, in February this year. I don’t have much interest in XC racing any more, but a lot of the same products - tyres especially - appeal to the bikepacking segment of our sport. I was looking for a lightweight, fast-rolling tyre that was also strong enough to give me confidence when taking them into the remote areas that the Kopiko route followed. The tyres arrived only a few days before I was due to leave, but the tread pattern looked ideal in my eyes, and squeezing and pinching the sidewalls, well, they seemed to be sturdy enough, so on the bike they went and we set off for the East Cape.
One thousand one hundred kilometres later I am really happy with these tyres. They mounted onto the rims incredibly easily, and I had them setup tubeless in no time. Unlike some other tyres, they didn’t seem to leach any sealant and held their set pressure straight away. In fact, over the nine days of riding, I didn’t top up either tyre pressure once. By the time we arrived at Cape Egmont, the rear tyre was showing some obvious sign of wear, but was still well within what I consider acceptable for 1100km of loaded bikepacking. The side walls on the front and rear tyre don’t show any signs of damage which is also encouraging. The Smartgrip compound seemed like an excellent compromise for being fast-rolling on the seal and still grippy enough to ride the more technical parts of the route, such as the Timber Trail, without holding back.
Since then, I have used them for a number of laps around our local mountain bike trails and have been impressed with their ability. Clearly a low profile tyre like this is best suited to dry, hardpack conditions - in the wet, the side knobs still offer control and confidence, however the thin centreline knobs have limited ability to support braking as soon as it gets wet.
For their intended purpose, the Scorpions are a great tyre and I think they’re especially suited to multi day bikepacking rides.
RRP: $109
Distributed by FE Sport
Reviewed by Lance Pilbrow
Review: Exposure MaXx D MK13 Light
Nowadays, the term ‘built to last’ feels like a phrase from a bygone era. But there are still brands out there that want to ensure ‘built to last’ is a term we use well into the future. One of those brands is Exposure Lights. Each light is machined from aluminum and uses durable, high-quality materials for the lens. Each part of the build process is done in-house, in the UK, and all lights carry a two-year warranty. There’s not much in the bike world that’s manufactured in the UK or Europe these days, so that’s saying something!
I tested the Exposure MaXx D MK13 light which offers 2500 lumens when using the clever Reflex technology and some great battery life to boot. It’s a small package but it packs plenty of punch. The 2500 lumens in the MaXx D makes for a reliable night riding pal. It throws out plenty of light, is simple to use and features Reflex++ technology that optimises light brightness depending on your speed and actions on the bike. The lumens are increased to 4000 when Reflex ++ is used. To better manage battery life, the MaXx D has three Reflex Plus modes. The very clever Reflex mode changes the light’s output depending on the trail conditions, by using in-built 3D accelerometers to measure speed and bumps. If the light senses the trail is particularly rough, it boosts output to 4000 lumens and then dims it back down once it becomes smoother again. There are large cooling fins that draw away heat from the light, and a quick-release bracket with a sprung pin that holds it in place. The clamp can fit both 31.8mm and 35mm, thanks to the shim that’s included.
Overall, the Exposure MaXx D is powerful, robust, and well thought out, which is what has impressed me most about the brand. The performance is second-to-none and it lights up the trails incredibly well. If you’re doing some super gnarly trails, you may want to consider another helmet light but, for most riders, this light is very sufficient. The price is high, but the quality is outstanding. Personally, I’d rather buy the best one once than buy multiple lights, multiple times which in the end costs more money and causes frustration. This light throws out a ton of light, is tough and ‘built to last’.
RRP: $759
Distributed by FE Sports
Reviewed by Liam Friary
Film: Moving Mountains
The 56.2km (32.5 mile) Paparoa Track is Aotearoa New Zealand’s latest mixed-use backcountry ride. It joins the already extremely popular Heaphy Track and Old Ghost Road as prime bikepacking trip destinations. Its point-to-point route is what bikepacking dreams are made of: the perfect gradients, insane views, epically-located backcountry huts, and some of the most beautiful bush New Zealand has to offer. The track crosses the Paparoa Range, taking riders through alpine peaks, limestone karst landscapes, and thriving rainforests. While it can be ridden in a day, the route is dotted with three backcountry Department of Conservation (DOC) huts to encourage people to take in an overnight or multi-day experience. Each hut provides track users with bunk beds and mattresses, running water and gas cookers. Track users need to carry all their own food, sleeping bags and clothing—especially wet weather gear. The Paparoa range is situated on New Zealand’s West Coast where it rains 195 days a year on average, with 3,000 mm (118 inches) of rainfall annually.
Riders: Khulan Tumen and Viet Tieu
Producer: Caleb Smith
Film: Ross Mackay
Review: 100% Teratec Plus Knee Guard
Knees pads are a hard thing to get right. I’ve ridden with some great ones over the years… and some really, really bad ones that I thought would have been good. It’s hard to tell how good they’re going to be until you take a tumble. Personally, I feel naked if I don’t ride with knee pads on. My confidence just isn't there and I know that one bad crash could mean f$cked knees for the rest of my life (and knee surgery looks like a total ball ache). I’ve been close to this a couple of times.
One of my biggest pet peeves is knee pads that slip down during a crash. There is nothing worse than buying a new set of knee pads you're stoked on, only for them to slip down your leg during a tumble, doing nothing to protect your knee. It's the worst. So, where does the 100% Teratec plus come in? Well, with a massive silicone webbing covering the inside cuffs on the top and bottom of the pad, these pads stay in place even after the biggest rags. The Teratec Plus work on a tight fit versus straps. This style of tight fitting pad can be hard to put on sometimes, but 100% have been smart and added a small hand pocket/handle for helping you pull the pads up. On top of the small pocket, and around the guard itself, is a thin layer of padding which just adds a little extra protection.
I’ve been using the Teratec Plus as my daily pads for the last few months. They have been on all sorts of adventures and rides, from big hike-a-bike days in the back country to quick loops of my local trails in all sorts of different weather: wet, dry, hot or cold. I went for the medium size as it's the size I normally choose when going for knee pads. Over the first couple of rides they felt a bit tight - the big silicone cuffs caused a bit of uncomfortable friction on my lower thighs. After a few rides, though, they stretched out slightly and the friction disappeared. This seems to be a common theme with compression-fit pads.
The Teratec Plus is aimed at the Enduro end of the spectrum, promising ‘Level 1 Protection’ in a pad you can pedal all day in. I can definitely say that both these claims are true - the protection level certainly lives up to the marketing hype. I've had some massive rags with these pads on and come out the other side with only a bruised ego. I'm a really big fan of the extra bits of pad they have added around the actual knee protector, as these help with awkward little bumps that can hurt a lot more that they should - funny bone knocks but in your knee. The ventilated mesh around the back of the pads do a good job of keeping you cool, but they still run a little hot in comparison to a lot of the lighter weight pads. You can kind of notice the knee pads when you first put them on, but after about half an hour of pedalling you forget you’re even wearing them. They are low enough profile that they easily fit under your shorts, and are long enough that you don't get the dreaded twat gap. They are a good length over all, covering the area you are most likely to hit in the event of a crash.
Over all, I would say 100% Teratec Plus Knee Guards are the best pads I've used in the last few years. Offering great protection, you can ride all day in them if you don't mind a slightly hot knee, with the main thing being that they don't slip down in the event of a crash. I would happily ride laps of the bike park with these on, then head off on a three hour pedal in full confidence that if I have a crash, my knees are probably going to be fine.
Distributor: FE Sports
Words: Liam Friary