Winter is officially just a few weeks away for us here in the US and Canada but in New Zealand, the summer is right around the corner. And just in time for the start of the mountain biking season, the Alps 2 Ocean Cycling Trail is opening several new sections to riders. When it’s fully completed in November, 2012, the Alps 2 Ocean trail will span 312km (about 200 miles) from the base of Mt. Cook (highest peak in New Zealand) in the southern Alps to the coast at Oamaru.

The Alps 2 Ocean trail is a part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail and is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development. The idea is to develop and promote 18 great rides that showcase the natural beauty of New Zealand and each ride is rated easy, intermediate, or advanced. Most of the rides are designed as multi-day routes and there’s at least one ride in each region of the country.

Rated as an easy ride, the Alps 2 Ocean trail can be conveniently ridden as a 6 day trip with stops in various villages offering places to stay and eat. The trail starts 780m (2,500ft) above sea level which means you’re riding mostly downhill all the way to the coast. Still, because this is rated as an easy trail I’m guessing it’s all about the scenery, not the adrenaline. It’s also not clear how much of the final trail will be off-road, though nearly all of the photos show natural surface tracks.

Alps 2 Ocean Trail (photo: nzcycletrail.com)

Fortunately, other parts of the New Zealand Cycle Trail, like the Waikato River Trail, St. James Cycle Trail, and the Old Ghost Road on the West Coast are rated advanced and the photos seem to back up the rating. All three trails can be ridden as multi-day epics from 1-4 days long, depending on your ability – and the number of times you stop to take in the incredible scenery!

St. James Trail (photo: nzcycletrail.com)

Old Ghost Road (photo: nzcycletrail.com)

Old Ghost Road (photo: nzcycletrail.com)

The New Zealand Cycle Trail website has photos and information about each trail, making it easy to plan your own off-road, multi-day bikepacking trip in God’s own country. The best part: mountain biking in New Zealand gets you on the bike in January when the rest of us are still shivering in our thermal tights!

photo courtesy LoGMB Facebook page.

It’s cold in much of the US right now but in the southern hemisphere, mountain biking season is just warming up! We’ve been reading the MTB news out of New Zealand and it just doesn’t seem fair: new trails opening, a mountain bike park launch, and the League of Gentlemen Mountain Bikers Summer Race Series. (Of course it’s not all good news – we also read about an early season injury that nearly paralyzed a Kiwi rider.)

The LoGMB Summer Race Series sounds particularly awesome with events like the Das Super D where riders blast downhill then back up again to scull a pint of beer. Then there’s the chainless DH race on Feb 3 and the MeagreAvalanche Mar 12 modeled after the MegaAvalanche held in France each year (though MeagreAvalance gets about 20 riders compared to thousands at the French version). Rounding out the series, the club hosts a pump track party, a slalom-style MTB race, and a “wacky dress” DH race to cap off the series.

All the LoGMB events are low key with $2 entry fees and a request to bring your own timing device. The group posts regular updates on their official Facebook page so even if you don’t live in Queenstown, you can start getting ideas for your 2011 MTB club events!

photo courtesy redbull.co.nz.

On December 4, the Red Bull Rock Drop will challenge 80 DH mountain bikers to race to the bottom of a gold mine in New Zealand. The Martha Mine in Waihi is 250 meters (about 800 feet) deep and features slopes up to 70 degrees. Riders will go down in groups of 4 making this essentially a 4X event, though it’s tough to compare this to any race that’s been run before.

Looking at the photos it’s easy to underestimate the scale of the mine but according to the website, trail builders were attached to fixed ropes during construction due to the steepness of the slopes. The terrain ranges from super hard slabs of quartz to soft volcanic ash so there’s bound to be a variety of conditions from top to bottom.

With $10,000 in prize money on the line there should be some pretty aggressive riding on the way down. Red Bull promises “rock drops, gap jumps, mine trucks, free ride and speed lines” and the event is open to spectators. Video preview embedded below.

Four mountain bike news items to start off the week:

Easton Seatpost Recall

Easton is recalling approximately 200 EC90 Zero seatposts manufactured in 2010. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the carbon top clamp on the seatpost assembly can crack which, as you can imagine, would really suck for the rider. The release we read made it sound like the seatposts may have been included on some Turner and Ibis bikes so if you bought one of those bikes this year, check your post and the Easton website to see if yours is affected.

Although no injuries have been reported, consumers should immediately stop riding the bicycles and contact any authorized Easton Sports (dealer) for a free replacement top seat clamp.

Croc Trophy Race Wraps up “World’s Hardest” MTB Competition

photos courtesy crocodile-trophy.com.

To be more specific, race organizers claim the Croc Trophy is “the world’s hardest longest hottest and most adventures (sic) MTB race in the world” and this year’s competition just wrapped up a few days ago at the northeastern tip of Australia. Apparently the course takes riders into the Australian Outback and some daily stages are nearly 100 miles long. Just to finish all 10 stages of the Croc Trophy takes serious stamina – congrats to this year’s winner Urs Huber who finished 5 minutes ahead of second place finisher Bart Brentjens and 40 minutes ahead of third place finisher Mike Mulkens. Now’s the time to start training for next year’s epic!

Singlespeed World Champs Recap

We wrote about the Singlespeed MTB World Championships a couple weeks ago ahead of the competition in New Zealand and today we discovered ESPN.com’s entertaining take on the event. My favorite quotes from the article:

“If you are riding really, really fast but don’t want a tattoo, then don’t win the race. The winner will be tattooed at the finish line so decide before you start if you want a tattoo or not.”

If “The Dude” from “The Big Lebowski” was into mountain biking instead of bowling he would have been a singlespeeder.

I think this is one of those things I gotta experience for myself at some point – sounds like a blast! Though I guess that means I’ll need to shed some gears first…

Loch Raven Reservoir Cracking Down on Mountain Bikers

Mountain bikers in Baltimore have been enjoying the 30+ miles of trails around Loch Raven Reservoir for years but lately rangers have been issuing $100 citations for things like night riding (read the recent trail reviews for more examples). According to this article, land managers are becoming concerned about erosion issues affecting water quality and it seems mountain bikers are an easy target. Specifically new “unofficial” trails are popping up and land managers want it stopped – though hikers are just as likely to create unauthorized “social” trails as bikers. Keep an eye on this issue as local club MORE works with reservoir managers to resolve the situation…

photo by Alan Ofsoski, fotoengineers.com

The Singlespeed Mountain Bike World Championships are being held in Rotorua, New Zealand this weekend and there are over 1,000 riders from 30 countries registered for the main event. The course covers about 40 km through Whakarewarewa Forest starting at the Waipa MTB park and promises to be challenging, even by World Championship standards.

According to this article, some of the riders plan to wear costumes during the race – and not because it’s almost Halloween (do they even know what Halloween is in New Zealand?). One rider explained it this way:

I guess you can call it the punk of mountainbiking – back when it all got started not too many people were interested in singlespeed but now like punk it has become fashionable. It’s all about having fun – getting dressed up, having a few beers and racing just for the hell of it.

This year’s course offers a shortcut available to riders who chug a beer before hitting the alternate which sounds like a no-brainer to me. Perhaps the coolest part of the Singlespeed World Championships is the prize: the top male and female finishers get a tattoo! The Rainbow jersey is temporary but the Singlespeed World Championship honors are permanent!

And for those of you who are into the Gates Carbon Drive thing, Gates rider Jake Kirkpatrick took 3rd in the singlespeed division of the Whaka 100, a 100km endurance race that kicked off the overall Rotorua Bike Festival this week. Jake rode a fully rigid Black Sheep titanium bike with the new Gates Center Track carbon belt which seems like a pretty solid endorsement.

Lots of other cool stuff is happening around the race this weekend – if you can make it to Rotorua definitely send us a report!

photo courtesy RedbullRampage.com

Downhill skiers and snowboarders have been using helicopters to access backcountry terrain for years – but they aren’t the only ones. Helibiking combines the reach of a helicopter with the rush of downhill mountain biking in places like British Columbia and New Zealand. We recently got the lowdown from Vernon Reid of Helibike.com LTD, a mountain bike guide service provider in New Zealand.

For many Helibike.com LTD clients, the trip is as much about the incredible scenery as it is the rush of the descent. Remember, you’re riding in a helicopter through some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in New Zealand, which in and of itself, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  The routes Helibike.com LTD services are actually located on private land and aren’t accessible via lifts or shuttle vehicles. Heck, even if you wanted to ride up you wouldn’t be allowed!

Vernon points out that helibiking has a lower environmental impact than say four-wheel drive shuttle vehicles or even permanent lift stations. All you need is a clear place to touch down with the bikes and you’re off.

Surprisingly, Vernon estimates that 90% of his clients have never been DH mountain biking before their first helibiking experience. As such, most clients opt to use the GT Sanction 2 mountain bikes on hand for a smooth descent.

Unlike heli-skiing where the aim is to access untouched backcountry areas, most (if not all) helibike tour operators shuttle to well-established trail systems. Initially I imagined extreme DH or freeriders with access to a helicopter looking at a peak on a map and deciding to find a way down but that’s not really practical (or enjoyable either). Nope, it may be possible to make first tracks in snow but on a bike it’s not advisable.

At the end of the day, using a helicopter as a DH shuttle is a fun and scenic way to get to the top of the mountain. In many cases, helibiking can take you to places that are virtually inaccessible via conventional means (other than riding uphill of course)!

Thanks to Vernon Reid and Helibike.com for providing information used in this article.

photo via UCI jersey Facebook page.

This year the UCI is requiring that all national champs wear the same jersey for the duration of the season and that has some top riders worried about their sponsors. In New Zealand top downhill rider Justin Leov decided not to defend his title at the national championships due to the new jersey ruling.

Last year, UCI champs were allowed to wear a simple arm band to designate their status which allowed the riders to give their sponsors the proper exposure. Leov is sponsored by Trek and races in the Northern Hemisphere half the year and, had he won this year’s national championships, would not have been able to wear his Trek jersey in competition.

According to this article, six other riders opted out of the championship race in New Zealand and top riders in the UK and Austria were considering doing the same. While there is no word from Trek or other sponsors about how the new rules would affect their sponsorships, clearly something needs to be done. I do find it hard to believe that Trek can’t find another place to put their logo – helmet, shorts, or (and I know this is crazy) their bike?

It’s a shame to see top riders dropping out of races, reducing the overall level of competition just because of sponsorship issues. Perhaps the sponsors will be willing to cut riders some slack rather than see their athletes give up UCI titles. Check out this online petition to register your vote.

photo credit: CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post

Back in 2007 Jeremy Simpson and Karl Holmes were mountain biking in the Wainuiomata hills of New Zealand when they encountered Graeme Burton on the trail. Burton was carrying a shotgun and at first the guys didn’t think anything of it since people often hunted in the area. But when Burton pointed the shotgun at Simpson both men knew their lives were in serious danger.

On the run from police, Burton had recently killed Karl Kuchenbecker and Simpson and Holmes passed right by Kuchenbecker’s body as they fled the killer. Burton managed to shoot both men at least once – Holmes in the left arm and hand. As the two bikers fled the killer, Simpson stayed calm and even thought to cover up the trail of blood they were leaving behind.

Eventually the men were able to help police locate Burton and he was ultimately shot and captured. For their actions both men were recognized with commendations at a ceremony just last week. Could this be the basis for yet another mountain bike related film project? I hope so.

I’ve encountered people with guns on the mountain bike trail a couple times and it always makes me feel a little uneasy, especially in more remote areas. I’ve also been shot at while mountain biking, though it was just kids with paintball guns at Palmer Park. Still, being targeted is not a good feeling, especially when you can’t see where the shots are coming from.

Mountain bikers are far more likely to be injured or even killed due to accidents on the trail but it still pays to be aware of your surroundings. Just follow Simpson and Holmes’ examples and stay calm – you just might end up a hero!

Photos courtesy MTBPursuits.com.

Looking for a way to celebrate the Queen of New Zealand’s birthday in style? Try manning up to the Run 79 Lake Tekapo mountain bike race on May 31. The 90Km (56 mile) undulating course goes around beautiful Lake Tekapo and features plenty of rocky stream crossings.

If you’re planning on heading down for the race remember it’s mid-autumn in New Zealand and race organizers recommend wind breakers, thermal leggings, and extra socks to keep warm on the 4-8 hour ride. The top male and female finisher each receive $1500 and the race is limited to 1500 riders. Just think, you can use that prize money to pay for your plane ticket…