Column

Beer Guide Issue 207

It’s a different gold rush in the south these days, as Queenstown and Wanaka together boast more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country.

During the gold rush era, the Central Otago region boasted the highest number of breweries in the country. Beer was a natural companion to slogging it out under the baking sun, or in the freezing cold, as you tried to make your fortune.

But it’s a different gold rush in the south these days, as Queenstown and Wanaka together boast more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the country. Plus, there are plenty of great pubs to boot.

Alexandra itself is home to Ferris Road Brewery, located not on Ferris Road, but Ngapapa Street. Owner-brewer Sam Forsyth always has an array of guest taps, as well as his own beer, and the place is well regarded for its wood-fired pizza.

Ferris Road has the claim of being the first brewery in Alexandra since Theyers & Beck’s closed in 1880. It’s a block away from the Otago Rail Trail at one end, and the Matangi Station mountain bike track is at the end of the road, so it’s an ideal spot for cyclists to stop in. There are 14 taps, and Sam says his best-seller is his Trail Ale APA.

Up the road in Clyde, the famous Oliver’s restaurant has its own in-house brewery, the Victoria Store Brewery, and the beer of choice is the Black Smith Porter, which is smoothly chocolate but with a hint of smoked malt.

The brew scene in Queenstown is led by Altitude Brewing, located on the water at Frankton, not far from the airport.

It’s a gorgeous spot at any time of the year, and new outdoor heating makes the friendly taproom the perfect place to spend wintry nights. Altitude won the champion small brewery title at the 2021 Brewers Guild of New Zealand Awards, and they’ve got great local connections with the local ski fields.

They’ve also just done a collaboration with Royalburn Station owners, Nadia Lim and her husband Carlos Bagrie, to make a beer using barley grown on Lim and Bagrie’s Arrowtown station. With the addition of locally sourced hops and water it’s a totally Queenstown-brewed Italian pilsner.

Altitude’s flagship is the Mischievous Kea IPA, a malty, English style IPA that’s perfect for the cooler weather. But check out their Sled Dog hazy and whatever fruited sour is currently pouring in their Jam Sessions series.

At the time of writing, Searchlight brewery in Queenstown was in the process of getting new owners — it is being taken over the by the team that run The Beech Tree bar and restaurant in town. Searchlight are best known for their Ladies of Dogtown Hazy Pale Ale that won them an award for the label design in 2021. The label features local Queenstown female skaters and the beer has an attitude to match, with lots of sweet lime and grapefruit.

Perched above the Shotover River and right next to the famous Shotover Jet tourist attraction, the aptly named Canyon Brewing produce a great range of tasty beers, and there’s an excellent restaurant to boot. Their most interesting beer is the Zenkuro Dry Japanese-style lager that’s made with kasu (which is a byproduct of making sake), yuzu and the Sorachi Ace hop, which brings a dill-fennel flavour that helps create a lemon-savoury style beer that tastes amazing after a hard ride.

Cargo Brewing is located in Gibbston Valley wine country, with the brewery inside a vineyard. And they’ve recently opened a taproom at Arthurs Point, called Cargo at Gantley’s — Gantley’s being Queenstown’s oldest pub. For a perfect winter drop try the choco-coffee porter.

In Queenstown itself, the place to go for the best range of beer is Smith’s Craft Beer House. It’s a fantastic spot, with great food and from late June will have a line-up of the best New Zealandhopped beers as part of their annual NZ IPA Challenge.

Across the Crown Range, Wanaka is bustling with good beer from B Effect, Rhyme X Reason, Ground Up and Wanaka Beerworks.

Rhyme X Reason and Ground Up are both located on Gordon Rd.

Rhyme X Reason’s rustic taproom ticks all the boxes. Shared wooden tables are especially popular with locals after work and on weekends. There’s an impressive range of cool merchandise, and an ongoing schedule of food trucks partners the brewery’s core range and regular seasonals. There’s an array of interesting beer but the current cult favourite is Calm Down Karen, a hoppy IPA that delivers heaps of flavour with its political commentary.

Ground Up are a real mountain culture brewery and make some of the most underrated beers in the country. ‘Punks in the Gym’ might create images of gym-rats lifting dumbbells but this IPA is named for a famously challenging sport climbing route in Australia. Famously, New Zealander Mayan Smith-Gobat was the first woman to conquer the grade 32 Punks In The Gym climb at Mt Arapiles in 2012. Crux Pilsner is named after one of the hardest climbing manoeuvres, and it’s a great beer to boot. The food comes courtesy of Wanaka ‘Wich Project, who serve up a menu of American sandwiches, bar snacks and desserts.

B Effect are deeply connected to the mountain biking scene in the area, through their relationship with Bike Glendhu. The beer of choice post ride is Hero Dirt APA and while Wanaka Beerworks might be one of the oldest craft breweries in the country, established in 1998, the foundation Brewski Bohemian Pilsner is tasting as good as ever — and for the health conscious, it’s also officially now a low carb beer.

There are other great beer pockets in the area including the Dark Horse Brew Werkz brewery located at Omakau’s Commercial Hotel, which dates back to the 1880s and is full of historic charm.

And Arrowtown Brewing, while they don’t have a taproom, is worth checking out as it’s a business started by an assortment of friends that include The Exponents bass player Dave Gent and Navman founder Sir Peter Maire. Their beer can be found at Arrowtown’s Fork & Tap and other establishments in the town. •

 

Words: Michael Donaldson
Photography: Henry Jaine,
Cameron Mackenzie and Callum Wood

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Columns: Musings

“The posse of e-bikers... had their own culture, which they had created themselves.”

The other day we went for a ride that gave us plenty of time to yak about mountain biking. Usually, we get into a long and complicated discussion about trails. That subject provides plenty of material for hours of slow climbing, which is when most of the talking gets done.

This time though, we gave the trails a rest and got into a session about the culture of the sport, and what is happening to it.

First of all, what were we talking about? Is there a mountain biking culture?

There are possibly dozens. It certainly isn’t one thing. Under the general umbrella of ‘mountain biking’ there are trail riders, downhillers, cross country racers, and adventure-style expedition riders. We could tack on some types of bike packing. Dirt jumping. Single speeding. Klunking.

Pondering things further, within ‘trail riding’ there are people who shuttle, people who don’t, people who stick to the beaten track, and people who like to roll their own lines.

Downhilling includes some of the shuttlers, and the full-on racers. Cross country has casual types, training for an event, and people aiming at the Olympics.

Single speeding can be a low-budget way of protecting the flash bike from the worst of winter wear, or a semi-religion.

And, a further complication is that many people will be in more than one camp. Most people I know are, and many of them do other bike stuff besides ‘mountain biking’: gravel; road; BMX; track; cross.

But, let’s say there is a mountain biking culture. Let’s, for argument’s sake, bung everybody we have listed above into a broad category and call them ‘mountain bikers’. Are they homogenous enough to call a culture?

What got us started on this topic, was turning up at an area where people sometimes congregate, to stop and fill up our water bottles. While we were there, a posse of e-bikers arrived. They were all on eMTBs, pretty slick ones at that. They had the basic gear required: fit-for-purpose shoes, shorts, backpacks, gloves, etc. So far, so good.

They also had hi-vis raincoats. All five of them. In the forest.... where they don’t need to be seen and it wasn’t raining. All their seats were too low, and all their gears were too high. Well, too low and too high for anybody who knows what they are doing. Saddle height and correct gear selection don’t matter much if you have an extra couple of hundred watts on tap, so they weren’t doing anything ‘wrong’.

It just didn’t look ‘right’.

The sight of this gang made both of us happy – they were out in the woods, on bikes, having fun.

It also made us raise our eyebrows and wonder what it meant for the ‘culture’.

The reality is, probably nothing.

In past years, people got into the sport as individuals, and identified with one or other of the subcultures. They learned the unwritten rules and adopted the appropriate gear. By the time they had developed enough to find their niche, they really fit their niche.

Over the past few years, people have been getting into it in droves – little gangs of people appear to have taken up bike riding en masse. The posse of e-bikers that sparked up our discussion were all on the same brand of bike, all on the same model year. They had their own culture, which they had created themselves. They didn’t pay any attention to us, or even say hello. They were doing their own thing, in their own funny-looking way.

A couple of days later, I was sitting in the doorway of my van and a woman nearby was racking her bike for her trip home. She had a big e-bike, and she was a tiny woman. I offered to help, but she reckoned she had racked her bike many times and proceeded to do it quickly and efficiently.

We got chatting. This woman was the leader of three bike groups from over at the coast. One of them comes ‘mountain biking’ on a weekly basis. There are enough in that group that they split into smaller pods for their lap of the woods. I got to see a few more members of her crew, the fast bunch who go further than the beginners – or what she called, ‘the pedal bike group’.

They were all very similar: late-model high-end e-bikes, all looking slightly odd to my eye. Even the ones that had the basic layout looking the business had been accessorised with things no ‘mountain biker’ would add to a trail bike, e or otherwise. Carriers. Phone holders. Odd mudguards. They wore odd riding outfits, too – but oddly consistent.

Much as downhillers look different to XC riders, this new mob look different again. But among their own, they fit.

They are yet another mountain biking faction. I’m just not sure what to call them yet. •

 

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Words and illustration by Gaz Sullivan

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Column: Beer Guide Issue 105

Mountain biking and beer seem to go together, so it’s no surprise to see an increasing number of breweries pedalling beers with an MTB connection.

The first brewery out of the gates with a strong bike theme, was Rotorua’s Croucher Brewing. The brewery was well-established when it did a brand audit five years ago and decided to move away from its old branding – a large C on a stylised shield. That logo shrunk on the label to make room for illustrated scenes from Rotorua’s many adventure sports, with mountain biking and cycling imagery a core part of the new brand.

In the core range, Croucher has the Enduro Pale Ale, Moonride Black IPA and Lowrider, a 2.5 per cent ‘small’ IPA. Seasonal releases include Hard Tail APA, Single Track IPA and Freewheeler West Coast Style IPA.

For founder Paul Croucher, it’s about connecting to the local community and identifying strongly with Rotorua.

“You know how craft beer evolved through hipsters down in Wellington? Well, in Rotorua, it evolved through the adventure sport guys – mountain bikers, white water rafters,” Croucher explains. Croucher goes a step further and is an active sponsor of mountain biking events in the area. And when he says sponsor, it’s more along the lines of supplying beer for competitors to refresh themselves with after they’ve crossed the line.

“We sponsor every event we can down here. We’re not exactly a cash-flush business but a lot of events just want a free beer at the finish line. It’s amazing how grateful people are. We just hope to send people away with a fond memory of our beer - and maybe they’ll buy it again.”

Local community plays a big part in many other brands’ MTB connection. In Wellington, Double Vision Brewing were partly drawn to their Miramar location by the mountain bike tracks in the area, says co-founder Warren Drahota.

“We’re all into mountain biking at Double Vision. When we were looking for different sites to set up we scouted a few, including Brewtown in Upper Hutt, but what we found in Miramar was an awesome community — and a whole lot of bike trails a couple of blocks away.”

The Miramar Track Project takes in the area around the old Mount Crawford prison on the end of the peninsula, with track names such as Repeat Offender, Jail Break and Solitary.

Before they’d even opened the brewery, Double Vision had a beer called Repeat Offender, which featured a rear view of a mountain biker jumping over a police car. But when Drahota did a bit more research he found Mount Crawford used to be mixed gender prison so they reworked their artwork to have a woman on the can.

Bringing a woman onto the beer was an important connection for American-born Drahota, who grew up idolising his cousin Karen Tremaine, who was one of the best riders in the US at the start of the century, contesting World Cup events.

There’s also a strong female presence on the Miramar tracks.

“We have heaps of riders in Miramar but the amount of phenomenal female riders is high compared to other places I’ve been mountain biking.”

There’s a similar story behind Eddyline’s Crank Yanker IPA, albeit with twisty history. It started life — as Eddyline did — in New Mexico, where Mic and Molley Heynekamp opened their first brewery. They had an IPA based on one of their home brews and named it Pick Axe IPA, as a tribute to the nearby New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. When they moved Eddyline to Colorado, they realised Pick Axe wasn’t going to work in the adventure state so had a competition to rename the beer.

“We had a ton of mountain biking that started right near the brewery,” Mic Heynekamp explains. “And someone came up with the name Crank Yanker, explaining that the beer was what you had after you ‘yank your cranks all afternoon’. It’s apt because the brewery is at the bottom of the valley and every climb starts with a brutal ride up.”

When they moved Eddyline to Nelson, Crank Yanker came too and Heynekamp said the name translated well.

“Most people that mountain bike get it. But the funny thing is that we did have some locals going ‘cranky Yankee’.”

The label comes from an oil painting done by then rising artist, Jesse Crock.

In something of a bonus for Eddyline, shortly after they opened in Richmond, the Silvan Forest Mountain Bike Park opened in the hills above the brewery.

“A lot of people park at our place, ride up and come back down and have some pints; beer and mountain biking goes together great.”

Nelson’s strong MTB culture is reflected in Sprig + Fern’s Local Pinner Pilsner.

Local Pinner is slang for a fast and experienced racer. The idea for Local Pinner came from Sprig + Fern designer, Hayley Ottman, who hails from the West Coast of America and loves to ride. She designed the label after a ride with friends, capturing the adrenaline of Nelson’s world class mountain biking culture and giving a nod to enduro and downhill racers.

“I’m into all outdoor sports, specifically growing up with surfing. Locally, my brother also used to race downhill mountain biking and is the one who brought the likes of Loose Riders to Nelson, so biking is in my blood,” Ottman explains. “Even if you don’t bike, it’s showcasing that this sport and its culture is bad ass and this is a bad ass beer.”

In the deep south, Wanaka’s b.effect has gone from supplying beer to Bike Glendhu, making a beer specifically for them, to now partnering in a tree-planting project. b.effect founder, James Hay, is a keen mountain biker and was working with Bike Glendhu, sponsoring events and giving them beer when they needed it. Eventually, the two businesses came up with the idea of brewing a beer specifically for Bike Glendhu.

The result is Hero Dirt, a sessionable 4.6 percent American Pale Ale, designed to be enjoyed after a ride.

“Bike Glendhu is about 15 minutes out of town, and the beer was originally made for their café; we wanted people to be able to have one or two and still get home OK,” explains b.effect marketing manager, Molly Hope.

The two businesses aligned further around carbon-offsetting.

“About six months ago, we started on a sustainability journey, doing a carbon footprint audit to work out where we were, and to make steps to reduce emissions.

We want to use our beers as a force for good and we want the consumer to understand where it’s going and have a relationship with the beer. Bike Glendhu had an initiative to plant 30,000 trees by 2025 and we already wanted to plant trees, so we decided on 3 percent of sales to go back to them.”

Hope said they were asking local stockists to match their donations; “to make it a community effort and tell the story that this beer you’re drinking helps plant trees”.

 

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Words: Michael Donaldson

Photography: Caleb Smith and Callum Wood

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Column: Beer Guide

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Release: The all-new Santa Cruz Chameleon

The Chameleon is a blank canvas, ready to go in whatever direction your imagination takes it. Creativity in wheel size, gearing and component choice make it the perfect muse for freethinkers and freedom seekers alike.

We made the Chameleon for riders who like to sculpt their ideal bike, and aren’t afraid to experiment. Whether 29er or mixed, geared or fixed, multiple major configuration transformations are made easy via the interchangeable dropouts. The low slung top tube and progressive geometry means this bike blends into whatever surroundings you place it. From raucous short-cuts across town to skipping the city altogether. It turns itself to trail exploration with the flip of an Allen key, thanks to the triple-bolt cargo cage mount under the downtube and standard bottle mount within the frame. Whatever the weather, however long the ride, wherever you're going, the Chameleon is so endlessly customizable and adjustable that the only constraint is really your own mind and motivation.

KEY FEATURES

• MX and 29" wheels

• 130mm fork travel

• Aluminum Frame

• Additional 3-bolt bottle / cargo mount under downtube

• Sizes S-XL

• Lifetime Warranty

TECH INFO

• Max tire width: 29 x 2.6-in or 27.5 x 2.8-in

• Boost 148mm spacing

• Post mount brakes w/ 180mm rotors

• ISCG05 chain guide mounts

• Threaded BB

• SRAM UDH

• IS headset

ALL NEW DROPOUT

• Swap dropouts to change between MX and 29" wheels

• 425-437 mm chainstay length adjustment

• Singlespeed compatible

• Direct Post Mount Brake

• UDH dropout compatible

We made the Chameleon for riders like these five who like to sculpt their ideal bike, and aren’t afraid to experiment. Read about the story of their unique Chameleon builds and their approach to riding. We encourage you to share their words and the photo galleries of their bikes.

Swanee Ravonison’s Patinated Aluminum Pariah

I make steel bicycles under the moniker Pariah and I convert old bicycles (from the 80s, 90s mainly) made up of new and used parts, to create mainly fixed or single speed gear machines. I do this in my bicycle shop slash grocery store, Fée du Vélo.

Looks wise I stripped ‘him’ of his flashy dress to make him more discreet, more subtle, more raw, sober, more radical like the Pariah bikes I build. The raw side is my hallmark. It means a bike ages and skates naturally. The traces of time which give any object a certain aesthetic and reinforce their sentimental value. But the more I work and think about natural patinas, the more the result reminds me of my brown body and my scarred skin. Imperfections, natural tattoos, indelible marks, memories of all my falls.

Using Hematite to age the frame is for me the opposite of a lacquer and varnish paint finish. The diluted stone is applied with a brush and the effect is not immediate. It can be stopped by water, and suddenly the result is revealed after drying. The warmer finish brings the frame to life and the tubes disappear. I like to linger to grasp the subtleties, to guess the hand of the craftsman. It’s impossible to get the same result twice. Sobriety never goes out of fashion and the details of the treatment are so subtle that it cannot be covered at a glance.

I kept big-volume tires for a cushioned feeling and installed a rigid carbon fork with mounting points to save some weight and carry bags for long bikepacking adventures. A lower bar helps for pedaling while keeping comfortable. I opted for cable disc brakes so that I could put the suspension fork and a wider cockpit back on without having to bleed. This is a solid enduro hardtail ready for rough and technical terrain.

As soon as the bike was ready I climbed a steep hill, jumped off the sidewalks and did a long sprint as a dancer.

Soon I'll go further afield on it. The Morvan region is my favorite playground because it is accessible to me. First day out would be more cross-country, a loop around Saint Brisson. It would pass through the lakes of Saint Agnan and Settons, around a hundred kilometres. The second day, pure enduro, with technical climbs and descents, barely over 50km and still in Saint Brisson in the Breuil forest.

The destination matters of course, but what I always remember is the quality of the paths, especially if these are small technical and fun trails that require a little commitment. The difficulty of a climb and the adrenaline of a descent makes an outing unforgettable!

Sven Busse's Barmeleon

People call me Sven, or sometimes Steven. Maybe they just call me a little crazy.

For nine years I have had a bar called The GegenÜber in the middle of Bielefeld, right next to a large skatepark. My bar is a melting pot for a wide variety of characters, music, skateboarding, art, all that kind of thing. A look at the facade explains more than a thousand words and the interior of the shop is also characterized by DIY style and a certain punk rock attitude. I wanted to transfer the heart and soul of the GGÜ to the Chameleon from which it became the Barmeleon. The paint was done by the graffiti artist who designed the bar [@ProPhret]

When I started thinking about this bike the first thing in my mind was the song by Orange Goblin – Monkey Panic

“Now it's time for you to run,

Got the fear, so get your gun,

Drink your whiskey, drink your wine,

Take your pills and come inside,

Chaos falling all around,

Monkey tearing up the town,

People running for their lives,

Armageddon's here tonight.”

Basically my biography has been completely interwoven with cycling since I saw the Hoffman Bikes video "Until monkeys fly" on VHS tape at a friend's house in 1998, and especially the street part of Mike Escamilla. I would describe myself as highly addicted to biking. I associate so many great people, friends, trips, spots, injuries and constant progression with cycling. Then, at some point, actually inspired by my younger brother, who is a huge inspiration to me, I got into mountain biking and discovered my love for it. It’s a substitute for BMX riding.

Since I saw the video with Craig Evans (The Steel City’s chameleon), I've been a fan of his shredding style, but also of the bike. I actually dreamed of basically flowing all of my trails with this kind of bike and sure in myself that it must feel damn good. Both to flow my home trails, manual through the city and to send jumps.

Myia Antone’s Medicine Finder

My bike has taken me to places that previously I’d only visited in dreams. Places where our stories come from and where medicine was harvested by my ancestors. My mountain biking journey started during the peak of the COVID19 pandemic, which meant I was riding alone – a lot. However, I knew I was never really alone. I was constantly surrounded by the trees and plants that sustained my community for thousands of years. In many ways, my bike allows me to time travel to quiet moments where I can be with my ancestors.

It’s hard for me to separate mountain biking from plant harvesting, I find so many similarities between the two. Biking teaches me how far my legs really can take me, how to get back up after a fall, and that everyone looks better with a little bit of dirt on them. Plants teach me that we can all grow and thrive in different environments, you can’t judge someone or something based off of one season and you grow stronger the deeper your roots. If anything, the two seem pretty interchangeable.

My understanding of our relationship to land is that it is an extension of ourselves. We love and respect the land as our kin, and understand that the world will teach you everything if you look long enough. I was taught the forest was our pharmacy - when we were sick, that is where we would go for our medicine. Today, I think of mountain biking as medicine in the forest too. The ups and downs bring healing to every inch of my body, and I always come home with a smile as big as can be.

Today, I am finding new ways to do old things. My ancestors have been harvesting from these lands and waters since time out of mind. I follow in their footsteps, but sometimes my feet just happen to be on pedals. My bike brings me to hidden patches of wild strawberries and devil’s club galore. I bring my backpack for snacks, bike tools and space to fill with plants to take home. How did I get so lucky to have a beautiful territory that is also world famous for its bike trails? I am rich in love and beauty from my time spent on the land. However, wealth also means having enough to give away. How do I embody the teaching of reciprocity within mountain biking? How do we give back to a sport that gives us so much?

Today, Indigenous Women Outdoors is how I give back to my communities. We offer programming for Indigenous women and non-binary folks to come out together on the land, partake in mentorships and try new outdoor activities. We have so much to share with the outdoor community, and it is finally time to listen.

Eric Ackermann’s Pink Space Goblin loc

My friends call me Baby Legs Eric.

I work in the warranty department of the SCB Factory and have been with the company for over 11 years. If you’ve ever requested something from our factory it was probably me that fulfilled it. You’re welcome.

The only thing that interests me is the absurd and keeping life as simple as possible.

I have two important tenets that I base my life around: 1. Don’t be a picky eater and 2. Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.

I wanted to get down to basics and turn it into a single speed bike to bomb around town. I was really into the color of the frame and thought pink would be the loudest contrast. It makes the bike look like it just came out of a comic book. I spend a lot of my free time illustrating and have gotten really into digital art so I knew I had to create some custom decals to slap all over it. Being able to cover one of my favorite bikes in artwork I drew was definitely my favorite thing.

I ride this bike all over Salinas, crushing burritos and Jarrito soda waters. I plan on building one just like it for my wife so we can take our dogs on adventures.

Paint: I kept the original yellow since I love it so much.

Frame size: Medium

Frame mods: Left as is since I didn’t want to mess up the natural build of the bike.

Fork: Yup, it’s got one.

Amount of airs in the bouncy bit at the front? A whole bunch

Number of gears: NONE

Which side do you have the rear brake on? Right side.

Wheel size(s): 29 in front 27.5 in rear

Tire pressure: A whole bunch

Tire type: Somewhere between hella chunky and smooth as smooth peanut butter

Mike Hill’s Tool Carrying Tool

My friends call me Mike. I build BMX frames for my company called Deathpack BMX.

I owe my passion for bikes to my dad. He had me surrounded by bikes for as long as I can remember and riding as soon as possible. I can't imagine life without bikes, be it pedal powered or motorised, there's nothing like it.

This is an off-road workhorse to carry tools to the trails through the winter from my van down a two mile single track to the bottom of a wood where the jumps are. It's like a swamper truck or winter hack. This bike is a tool. I go knock about on it, push iron, move dirt.

Paint: none

Frame size: medium

Frame mods: brackets and racks to carry panniers luggage and tools, etched frame logos and patina raw finish

Amount of airs in the bouncy bit at the front? Maximum

Number of gears: All of them.

Brakes, yes or no? Yes but maybe just back

Which side do you have the rear brake on? Right

Wheel size(s): 29 front, 27.5 rear. It’s a skullet

Tire pressure: 50psi

Tire type: Fat as possible and somewhere in between knobby and dirt tiller

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Video: Brandon Semenuk's 2021 Rampage Bike Build

Brandon Semenuk's 2021 Red Bull Rampage build is the bike you'd expect a five-time Joyride and three-time Rampage champion to ride. With big travel, and big trick potential, his custom 27.5 / 26 mulleted Trek Session is set up with a one-of-a-kind BlackBox AXS drivetrain, and a 190mm single crown RockShox Zeb Ultimate. Master mechanic, Sean Murphy, of Fluid Function in Squamish, B.C. assembled one of his two builds that he'll be travelling to Red Bull Rampage with, as he seeks an unprecedented fourth title.

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by nz mountain biker magazine

First Impressions: 2022 Trek Top Fuel

Trek has just released the latest version of their popular Top Fuel bike, I’ve had it for a month already so these are our first impressions. Look out for the full review in the upcoming issues. With the release of the Supercaliber taking the place of the full-noise XC race bike, the Top Fuel had the opportunity to evolve out of that same XC space, and that’s exactly what it has done, moving firmly into the ‘trail’, or, - dare we say it - ‘downcountry’ segment.

For 2022 travel in the rear ups from 115mm to 120mm, and is matched by a 120mm fork. The model I have had on review is the 9.8, which means you get the full carbon frame along with Bontrager carbon wheels, and a full XT build kit from tip to tail. Out of the box, I personally liked the matte carbon look with holographic details around the edge of the logos, it’s subtle, smart and stealthy. But if you’re bolder than I am, it’s also available in a pretty striking Red/Purple/Yellow fade too. All the housing is internal, which completes the sleek look, and also internal is your tool kit! Or it can be if you want it to be with a handy tool storage compartment integrated under the bottle cage, sadly you have to provide your own tools, but it does come with a nice little pouch to wrap things in. I’m looking forward to seeing just how much stuff I can jam in there, it looks like an ideal shape for a long cream doughnut. At the bottom of the down tube, there is a plastic armouring to protect the carbon, and a chunky rubberised chainstay protector to keep things quiet. Interestingly for an XC-oriented bike, there is only one bottle cage mount, which seems strange as this kind of ride would seem to be perfect for longer stage or marathon racing. Our 9.8 model has the full XT mentioned kit, which includes the superb 4-pot XT calipers and a 10-51 tooth cassette.

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. The term ‘Top Fuel’ is a term associated with American drag racing, which is all about acceleration, and that is immediately noticeable, the Top Fuel draws on its XC roots and gets up to speed fast, but with modern geometry and tyres that give the confidence to push through the corners - it can stay there, where with a more traditional XC bike might ask you be tempted to pull back.

After a month of riding on the Top Fuel, I left thinking, ‘this is the kind of bike a lot of people should be riding’. My totally un-scientific belief is that thanks to effective marketing companies, more riders are riding longer-travelling, heavier, squishier (yes it’s a technical term), bikes than the terrain really requires. Part of that has been the evolution of 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 have the choice of riding lighter, shorter travel bikes, with more confidence over technical terrain. What’s more, tyre choice can often be one of the most significant choices in what terrain a bike will excel on and with Trek speccing the new 2.4” XR4 tyres, they clearly had this same thinking in mind. They are noticeably chunkier tyres than you might think to find on a 120mm travel bike, and probably reflect the kind of personal changes most riders end up making to their bikes in time.

Anyway, all this theory aside, spending this month on the Top Fuel only confirmed my thinking - I felt I was undeniably faster over 90% of the terrain that I usually ride than I was on a longer travel bike. This was confirmed when finishing one descent, and waiting at the bottom for my regular riding partner to catch up, his immediate comment when he eventually arrived was “You were RAPID down there today!” The light wheels (and overall lightweight, 27.80 lbs / 12.61 kg) and fast engaging 108t freehub means it gets up and going very quickly.

On the suspension front, the SID Select+ does the job nicely, but I’m looking forward to spending some time fine-tuning this. I’m thinking that it might benefit from the addition of a bottom-less token. The frame is rated for a 130mm fork as well, so if you really wanted to take a step towards the down part of the down-country putting something like a Pike on here would really make it rip.

So far I have been really enjoying this bike, and I am really hoping the time I have it for isn’t going to be hampered by another lockdown because it really makes me want to get out and go for a good long ride each time I look at it. Look out for the full review coming soon.

Words & Images: Lance Pilbrow

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Release: RockShox Flight Attendant

Flight Attendant removes suspension complexity to elevate your ride experience. Our relentless pursuit of simplicity is driven by one goal: to unlock your full riding potential.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT

The only automatic suspension system that listens to the rider and responds in real-time. Flight Attendant uses a suite of sensors to read rider and terrain inputs to anticipate the perfect suspension position—enabling you to ride faster, ride longer, and spend less energy adjusting your suspension and more time focusing on what matters most: the unbridled joy of riding.

SRAM AXS TECHNOLOGY

The unmatched interface you’ve come to expect. Crystal clear communication between components. Beautiful cable-free design, meticulously crafted to disappear.

SENSE IT FIRST

A suite of sensors onboard your fork, rear shock and crankset work in unison to detect every bump, pitch, and pedal stroke made. Flight Attendant is the only automatic suspension system that listens to the rider and paints a picture of the complete riding experience in real time.

FUELED BY SCIENCE. FEELS LIKE MAGIC.

Developed over thousands of trail miles around the world, Flight Attendant’s on board

algorithm is scientifically engineered to do the complex thinking for you. It analyzes the

constant flow of ever-changing data to anticipate the perfect suspension setting for the rider and what the trail demands.

FURTHER FASTER

Your burly Enduro bike becomes fit for longer climbs. Your trail bike becomes as efficient as a cross-country world cup steed. Get the most return on every pedal stroke, weight shift, and micro adjustment you make, there’s no energy wasted. Flight Attendant capitalizes on every ounce of effort you put in, optimizing your suspension and maximizing your bikes performance all while you ride. You’ll ride further, faster and with more energy gained.

EFFICIENCY ON DEMAND

Alt: In Auto Mode, Flight Attendant deciphers every input and sends its commands to the AXS-enabled fork and rear shock to instantly react. It does the critical thinking for you. Your suspension is always in the right position at exactly the right time, automatically shifting between Open, Pedal and Lock compression positions before the thought ever crosses your mind.

Life isn’t black and white, or as easy as on or off. Balance is often found somewhere in-between. A 3-position system provides more choice and efficiency gains in more situations for the rider. With Open, Pedal and Lock compressions positions, the Flight Attendant algorithm finds the best connection to the trail, providing the right level of support and comfort at the same time.

OPEN

The moment you point your bike downhill or your tires hit a big impact, Open position allows your suspension to utilize the full amount of available travel while feeling plush and ready to absorb the next big hit.

PEDAL

The sweet spot for efficiency. Pedal position stiffens your suspension just the right amount to maintain traction, reduce excessive suspension movement and deliver the most output from energy well spent.

LOCK

Power to the pedals. In Lock position, the suspension is at its firmest setting to maximize your effort as you put the power down on those long grinds.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT MANUAL MODE

On those rare occasions when you need to opt out of Flight Attendant’s Auto Mode, the control’s there if you need it. Disable Auto Mode and cycle between suspension positions on demand. Manual Mode can be accessed through either the Flight Attendant Control Module, or on-the-fly with a click of the assigned paddle on the RockShox AXS Left hand 2-Button Controller.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT OVERRIDE MODE

A shortcut to your desired suspension position. Press and hold the assigned paddle on your AXS controller, Override Mode turns off Auto Mode and shifts the system into your designated Override position: Open, Pedal or Lock. After that all-out sprint, or when ready, click the same paddle again to re-engage Auto Mode, and never miss a beat.

GET HOME SAFE

Built in peace of mind. If a system problem arises, like a critically low battery, Safe Mode automatically places the suspension system into the Open position so you can get home safe to recharge.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT BIAS ADJUST

Bias Adjust give you the power to fine tune how Flight Attendant reacts in Auto Mode to your personal ride style and preference. From the factory, the system is set right in the middle: Zero Bias, for an effective balance of all three suspension positions. Based on personal ride style, adjusting Bias instructs the Flight Attendant system to favor the Open or Lock suspension positions.

When you Bias the system towards Lock (+1 or +2) Flight Attendant maximizes rider efficiency and the return on every pedal stroke with the system favoring the firmer Lock position, as often as possible. When you Bias the system towards Open (-1 or -2) the system will favor the Open position more often, with less likelihood of Lock.

There’s no right or wrong, Bias Adjust is all about choice and fine tuning the feel of the system to better match your style. Adjust your Bias at any time through the Flight Attendant Control Module or a simple tap on the AXS mobile app.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT LOW SPEED COMPRESSION ADJUST

Dial in your ideal performance and feel on the fork and shock with 10 Low Speed Compression settings. Tunable at any point through the Flight Attendant Control Module or via the SRAM AXS App.

THE APP AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL

AXS-enabled and completely customizable. Flight Attendant is an integrated part of the AXS ecosystem. Use the SRAM AXS App to adjust settings for your entire AXS system, Flight Attendant included. Build a bike profile, customize your controls, check battery charge status, and update firmware as needed right from your phone.

GET RIGHT TO THE RIDE: INITIAL SET UP

Out of the box or fresh from your favorite retailer, set up is simple. Pair your AXS components, set up your front and rear suspension, calibrate the Flight Attendant system, and you’re done! Flight Attendant remembers everything. Next time, get right to the ride.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT CONTROL MODULE

This is the central hub. Flight Attendant’s Control Module lives aboard your fork, collecting data from sensors, analyzing trail and rider inputs, and orchestrating your Flight Attendant components. Located within reach, the Control Module makes it easy to adjust and fine-tune on the fly.

PIKE ULTIMATE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

Pike Ultimate was built for the all-day epic. Now featuring Flight Attendant, we’ll see how far that truly goes. Pike Ultimate Flight Attendant has a new look with an ultra-light build, optimized travel to stiffness ratio and plenty of drool worthy new features. Designed for trail riders not looking to compromise on features or performance.

LYRIK ULTIMATE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

Lyrik Ultimate Flight Attendant sets a new standard for power and efficiency in an all-mountain fork. Featuring a hyper-focused new chassis that’s lighter while still critically stiff for Lyrik’s legendary performance and versatility.

ZEB ULTIMATE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

With Flight Attendant, ZEB Ultimate redefines how far you can go on an enduro bike. Long on travel, short on excuses, ZEB Ultimate Flight Attendant has an updated chassis with more features than ever before.

INTRODUCING BUTTERCUPS

Low amplitude, vibration reducing material pucks... but we like to call them ButterCups. ButterCups block 20% of unwanted “trail chatter” before it reaches your hands. The gold housings on the end of the damper and air spring hold two rubber pucks that absorb the high frequency vibrations before they travel through the fork and into the handlebar. ButterCups reduce overall hand and arm fatigue and will leave you feeling fresh with more control over the trail.

FEATURED IN:

Pike Ultimate Flight Attendant

Lyrik Ultimate Flight Attendant

ZEB Ultimate Flight Attendant

INTRODUCING CHARGER FLIGHT ATTENDANT

Charger Flight Attendant electronic damper features an automatic 3-position compression adjustment (Open/Pedal/Lock) with 10 clicks of independent adjustable Low Speed Compression and 20 clicks of adjustable rebound.

FEATURED IN: Pike Ultimate Flight Attendant

Lyrik Ultimate Flight Attendant

ZEB Ultimate Flight Attendant

INTRODUCING DEBONAIR+

DebonAir+ is built to strike the perfect balance of what riders really want: butter-like small bump feel, increased support throughout the travel, and higher overall ride height for more confidence when things get steep.

FEATURED IN: Pike Ultimate Flight Attendant

Lyrik Ultimate Flight Attendant

ZEB Ultimate Flight Attendant

INTRODUCING PRESSURE RELIEF VALVES

Pressure Relief Valves eliminate unwanted air pressure build up in the lower leg caused by variations in altitude or temperature. With the press of a button or two, Pressure Relief Valves restore the lower leg balance for optimum sensitivity and a premium fork feel.

FEATURED IN: Pike Ultimate Flight Attendant

Lyrik Ultimate Flight Attendant

ZEB Ultimate Flight Attendant

STIFFNESS REDUCERS

Using torque caps add an additional 5% torsional stiffness to our forks. But if you aren’t interested in “free stiffness” all Flight Attendant forks will now feature the option to run a standard hubcap via a new bolt-in adapter. Hubcap adapters are easy to install for those who choose to wave the free stiffness.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT REAR SHOCK MOTOR MODULE

Measuring and reading real-time terrain inputs, the rear shock plays an important role in delivering the ultimate Flight Attendant ride experience.

SUPER DELUXE ULTIMATE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

Super Deluxe Ultimate Flight Attendant is built to balance uphill prowess with proven downhill performance. The new electronic 3-position RCT3 Flight Attendant damper gives you as much control while pedaling as on those hard-charging, wild descents.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT PEDAL SENSOR

The crankset’s built-in pedal sensor receives real-time pedaling inputs, notifying your Control Module the moment you start (or stop) pedaling.

SRAM XX1 / X01 FLIGHT ATTENDANT CRANKSET

New XX1 and XO1 Eagle Flight Attendant carbon tuned crankset is our lightest, stiffest and strongest to date. Enabled by SRAM AXS and equipped with a small pedaling sensor to read real-time rider inputs, notifying the Flight Attendant control module the moment you move.

ROCKSHOX LEFT HAND 2 BUTTON AXS CONTROLLER

Access the power of AXS with only the tip of your thumb. The new RockShox Left hand 2 Button Controller now elevates your ride with the powerful new tech of Flight Attendant. Cycle through suspension positions, turn on Override Mode, and activate the RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post all with two buttons.

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by nz mountain biker magazine

Video: Love the Process - Max Langille

Love The Process, a tail of trusting yourself and what you’ll become. This film by Dylan Siggers gives a cinematic mix that’s meant to draw you into Max Langille’s process of completing a video part and dialing in tricks for competition.

Shift down, and enjoy a little peek into his process.

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by nz mountain biker magazine

News: Exposure Lights now Available in New Zealand

FE Sports are proud to announce Exposure lights to its portfolio of premium cycling brands as part of our exclusive offering to the New Zealand market.

"We at Exposure Lights have been looking for the perfect partner to distribute Exposure in New Zealand for a while and holding off until we found that in FE Sports. Firstly, they are riders that ride and not just talk about riding. Secondly, they know what the bike shops need in the way of business and product support.” said Mark Swift Marketing and Brand Manager Exposure Lights.

General Manager at FE Sports, Darren Harper added “It was a simple decision when we were offered the opportunity to represent Exposure lights and see this as a perfect alignment for FE Sports and the New Zealand cyclist looking for the best lighting solution on the market”.

We will continue to review our product and brands portfolio to deliver unique retail opportunities that will assist our partners to increase sales and drive new growth within their businesses.

DIABLO MK12

Exposure's best selling light with a slick new finish. Aero grade 6063 Aluminum coated using Physical Vapor Deposition. Triple LED's created a wide beam, combined with fast mode charging TAP technology, the Diablo's 1800 lumen output will enable you to pin most trails that are in front of the wheel. With a lightweight, CNC engineered aluminum body the Diablo gives you license to raise hell on the trail!

SIX PACK MK11

The Six Pack's deep reaching and open beam is our brightest for intense shreds and the highest capacity battery stores enough power to last the duration of the longest endurance events. Just use the OMS (Optimised Mode Selector) to choose the runtime for your needs from 2 to 36 hours. Together with the Reflex++, the six pack will automatically give you the perfect lumen level no matter the ride. The Smart Port utilises the large battery as a power bank for your other devices for an overnight bike packing adventure; there aren't many off road riders who couldn't benefit from a Six Pack.

STRADA MK10 SB

The Strada SB, Super Bright, with our Road Specific Beam Pattern and at 1500 lumens remains the best road light; with the specific bevels to allow side illumination, and reversible graphics to remind you that the Strada can be mounted either way up. The included remote switch allows for ease of use, keeping you in total control without taking your hands off the bars and with fast charging to ensure the lights are ready for the ride quicker.

FE Sports already has a range of Exposure products in stock and ready for immediate delivery. Please call (09) 88 44 882,mail info@fesports.co.nz or click here for further information and product support.

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by nz mountain biker magazine