New Zealand Mtb

[andykent]

Craigieburn was the best place i rode on the South Island. Beautiful views and great trails. Cheeseman DH and the luge were particular highlights.

I would imagine it would be a great place on an e-bike, worth noting not so many flow trails and more natural trails. If or when i go back to NZ i would definitely head back there!

Stayed in Flockhill Lodge 5 minutes away. Stunning drive there, worth noting on the driving front, although it all looks close on the map everything takes longer to get to in NZ.

Make sure you try all the different pies you get in the petrol station, i pretty much lived off pies in NZ.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Make sure you try all the different pies you get in the petrol station, i pretty much lived off pies in NZ.

Oh man, I keep neglecting and taking this for granted! Thanks for the reminder... I’m off to the BP station to nab a steak pie and a flat white for breakfast!

 

[CjP]

Hahaha what a pisser.
I don’t know if I could live off pies but I’d have one or two.

 

[andykent]

NZ is wicked, best biking and then smash a couple of pies after!! Was a good holiday that one!!

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

NZ is wicked, best biking and then smash a couple of pies after!! Was a good holiday that one!!

This one's for you Andy... I ate it vicariously in view of your holiday memory! And for some reason - it tasted twice as good, haha.



Didn't get to do some bike runs before hand... my only regret is that I didn't get two steak pies!

 

[The Flying Dutchman]

If you really want the top shelf pie(s):

Your guide to great pies in Selwyn

I've witnessed physical altercations over who gets the last pie from the warmer at the Hororata Pub, they're that good!

 

[brash]

Ok I'm back. I rode Queenstown for 7 days, managed to ride everyday and had the time of my life. Managed to have perfect weather besides one day which was at Rude Rock, unfortunately after 2 runs we had to abandon after the winds got to 100kph+

The bike park Is unreal, super fast gondola and when up the top there is countless trails to descend. NZ's trail rating index is graded much harder compared to Australia. When they say black diamond they mean it, and when they say double black diamond make sure your big boy pants are on because you are gonna need them.

I rode NZ on my "analogue" stumpjumper evo which is designed basically for the stuff in NZ. Fast and super steep and it was perfect. This is way too much bike in Aus but over NZ it made way more sense.

If you are on ebike, this place is heaven. The trail from Skyline (the bike park) to McGazzas bench called "beached as" is perfect for ebikes, it took me approx. 50 mins and that was stopping for photos all the time and taking it all in. From there you can do probably the most crazy descent of your life called "salmon run" which is a double black and for god sakes don't do it alone like I did, if you fall you are dead as the exposure either side of the trail on some sections is a sheer cliff.

From there you can loop back to a track called "mcnearly gnarly" which in my opinion is the best flow trail anywhere you will find, 5 minutes of berms and jumps that never seem to end. It has a 15 min climb making it perfect on an ebike for repeat runs.

Here are some vids, all I can say is the place is like Disneyland for MTB. A must do.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

^ Woah!!

Awesome vids! So you're Brasher, right?

 

[brash]

yep that's me.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

From there you can loop back to a track called "mcnearly gnarly" which in my opinion is the best flow trail anywhere you will find, 5 minutes of berms and jumps that never seem to end. It has a 15 min climb making it perfect on an ebike for repeat runs.

Really enjoyed watching that last video... every minute of it! I usually get bored watching runs over full tracks. But I can relate to how you felt (although I only did the Grade2 DH tracks at the Skyline park). Riders are supposed to case out the tracks first and slowly get up to speed once more familiar. But nothing beats the "first run" when you just aren't quite sure what's coming up ahead. I was so rusty when I was up there, I couldn't read the track fast enough... sometimes I'd think the next berm is a left-hander but it's actually a right!

Awesome videos Brash. Thanks for sharing all of that.

 

[Farmernz]

nice editing! Great to watch.

 

[andykent]

Salmon run is one of my favourite trails worldwide, brilliant trail, a must do if you are at skyline.

Did you ride the vagina tree, where the trail goes through the split tree trunk?

 

[brash]

Salmon run is one of my favourite trails worldwide, brilliant trail, a must do if you are at skyline.

Did you ride the vagina tree, where the trail goes through the split tree trunk?

Sure did, freaky bit of nature that one and clever trail work. I’m so glad I did that trail but knowing how high consequence it is now, I would never have done it alone without a phone ever again lol. Way too much to go wrong on that track. I didn’t see another person either.

 

[andykent]

I know what you mean, i was sitting at the table at the top once and a local turned up. It started to rain and he said shall we just ride it together as its a bit safer if you fall off a cliff. Fair to say a lot of the locals are pretty rapid!! He just waited for me at a few spots!!

 

[ryturn]

Craigieburn was the best place i rode on the South Island. Beautiful views and great trails. Cheeseman DH and the luge were particular highlights.

I would imagine it would be a great place on an e-bike, worth noting not so many flow trails and more natural trails. If or when i go back to NZ i would definitely head back there!

Stayed in Flockhill Lodge 5 minutes away. Stunning drive there, worth noting on the driving front, although it all looks close on the map everything takes longer to get to in NZ.

Make sure you try all the different pies you get in the petrol station, i pretty much lived off pies in NZ.

Yep the servo pies are unreal , such a surprise never buy food in a service station in Australia dried up dimmies and crap , but NZ , Lamb and rosemary pies fresh as and unreal. The roads though in Australia yeah 500 kms be there just after lunch in New Zealand maybe before dark....... cant wait to get back there in March for Crankworxs

 

[Akiwi]

You Bastards!!!!!!
All this talk of pies has made me hungry.
Living in Germany, it is something I miss. They just don't exist.
(Have to wipe my chin.. I just dribbeld!!)

 

[Zimmerframe]

Dubai looks like your nearest option if you want to cycle to get one ..

Dad's Pies

 

[Akiwi]

Dubai looks like your nearest option if you want to cycle to get one ..

Dad's Pies

Hmm, Google maps didn't give me a cycle route, but with the car is only:

64 h (6,349 km)
via Route 65
64 h without traffic

• 
  This route has tolls.
• 
  This route may cross country borders.
• 
  Your destination is in a different time zone.

Might pick one up fr dinner tonight Tomorrow errr in the weekend!

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

The roads though in Australia yeah 500 kms be there just after lunch in New Zealand maybe before dark.......

That's because our roads are always zig-saggy and up and down. We're only just beginning to figure out that we can actually flatten the topography first before we builds our roads. We're getting there... baby steps...

Aussie roads tho... flat straight country highways freak me out. Fast, but I'm scared I'm gonna fall asleep! I'd be driving for a while then I'll get a dejavu... crumbs, I must be going around in circles - I've drove past this exact same spot an hour ago! (Kiwis get disoriented if we don't change direction every 5 minutes).

And your speed limit... oh man, talk about stressful driving. In NZ, near enough the speed limit is good enough. But you guys get a ticket if you get caught going 51 in a 50kph zone, or 101 in a 100kph zone! I can barely remember where I've been... most of what I remember is the shape of a Holden Commodore speedometer needle meticulously kept at 99kph.

 

[Rusty]

@GrandPaBrogan ..... hmmmm, I thought 100kph was supposed to be the Average speed

 

[Akiwi]

Nearly as bad as here in Switzerland! Holy cow, I have never driven so accurately AT the speed limit. also not a kmph more!
The problem is that they not only fine you when you are 1 kmph over the limit, but that the fines ar ridiculously high.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Crankworx Rotorua dates have been released.
March 1-8 / 2020

Crankworx » Rotorua

 

[ryturn]

Crankworx Rotorua dates have been released.
March 1-8 / 2020

Crankworx » Rotorua

View attachment 22872

Flights booked , motorhome booked , crankworx early bird tickets bought , cant wait..........loved last year.................warm the pies.

 

[brash]

Hmmm I do need an excuse to go back, that's a good enough one!

Leave some pies for me.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Hmmm I do need an excuse to go back, that's a good enough one!

Leave some pies for me.

Bring lots of GoPro batteries with ya!

If you've never been to Rotorua, you must find time to ride the Whakarewarewa forest.

If you're not taking your bike with you - they have a pretty decent bike hire at the car park... from beginner hardtails all the way to Giant Reigns, and full-sus eBikes too. Once during normal weekend, I couldn't hire an eMTB. I wanted to try a Trance E+ before I bought one but they were all booked-out!

I'm not sure if they allow bike hire bookings during Crankworx week, but might pay to ask if you're planning to hire one. Looks like they've just updated their fleet too.

https://www.mtbrotorua.co.nz/bikehire

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

^ And oh, you only pay if you're hiring a bike. Riding the Whakarewarewa forest itself is free and open to everyone.

Here's a screen shot from my chest mounted GoPro last August... still pretty cold some days.
But March is end of summer (edit), so it'll still be nice and pleasant.

 

[Akiwi]

^ And oh, you only pay if you're hiring a bike. Riding the Whakarewarewa forest itself is free and open to everyone.

Here's a screen shot from my chest mounted GoPro last August... still pretty cold some days.
But March is just the beginning of Spring, so it'll still be nice and pleasant.

View attachment 22898

Spring, March, New Zealand???
March is full / Late Summer there.

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Spring, March, New Zealand???
March if full / Late Summer there.

Ha! Oops - I meant autumn, heading into winter.
(Edited it) thanks.

 

[Rusty]

Here's a screen shot from my chest mounted GoPro last August... still pretty cold some days.

Probably still warmer than Pomgolia in summer

 

[GrandPaBrogan]

Only came across this, uploaded just a couple of weeks ago. I'm not exactly sure where it is in Queenstown. Thought @Christian might be interested.