Sunday, January 20, 2008

Vulcaniser team; take a bow!

Oliver putting it in the (hurt) bag on one of the Vulcaniser's pinch climbs
Photo Kris Celeste


In his first step up to National level Pro Elite racing, Ventana NZ team rider Oliver Whalley took on 6 grueling laps of the unrelenting Vulcaniser course, held at secenic Mt. Vulcan in Omihi, North Canterbury.
With hot conditions and an even hotter pace off the gun, the racers smoked round the buffed single track. Racers and riders at the weekend event took in the finely crafted singletrack, complete with highlights such as Slimline and the Boar's nest; all creations of Craig, Rebecca and the rest of the McQueens valley MTB club team.
Ventana's loud (and sometimes smokey) presence at the Vulcaniser open day

With the fastest lap time, series winner and local legend Dayle 'whip it out' McLachlan showed the field how it was done, scorching the course in under 19 minutes!
While Oiver's times wern't quite as blistering, the determination required to complete the full course is a credit to his riding, and the experience will surely serve as a platform for his further forays into the upper echelons of the sport.

At the finish line, Oliver reported being 'smoked', a feeling no doubt heightened by the sprint for the line by Queenstown rider Mark Williams, who pipped Oliver for 9th place.

While countless racers thanked the Adventure events team on the podium, no amount of lip service can do justice to the tremendous amount of effort that Craig and Rebecca's team have done for cross country riding in Christchurch. They are tireless organisers of consistently awesome events. Racers from far afield made the long haul drive to the course and were rewarded with an impeccably organised and overwhelmingly fun event on arguably the best race course in the country.
Event organisation is only part of it, and you will find this MTB dream team at build days throughout the year, giving so much back to the sport that we all love.
So next time you pedal out to one of their events, give them a pat on the back, or lend a hand with a shovel. They are truly an inspiration to us all!

Mountain Pedaler out...

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Pumpalicious...

Construction in progress

Many mountain bikers are aware of the thrill of Pump tracks, mainly through the mad exploits of pro rider Mark Weir in this Youtube video.
Unfortunately precious few riders have had the chance to actually ride a pump track, and the Mountain Pedaler's summer was devoted to spreading the pump track love to wider audience.

Oliver gets the front end rowdy!
Photo Nick Whalley

Starting with a flat block of about 10m x 15m situated under some mature black walnut trees on a farm on the outskirts of Nelson, a plan was hatched to construct a simple pump track setup that would allow racers and punters alike to experience this unique thrill for themselves.

Using Lee Cormack's proven design, 7 cubic metres of topsoil was trucked then barrowed into a series of 1 and 2 foot humps, with some juicy 90 and 180 degree berms thrown in to keep things interesting.

The Terremoto carves through a berm
Photo Nick Whalley

After a week of tuning, riding, sprinkling and more riding, the track became hard and fast, and a joy to ride!

The finished pump track

For riders up Nelson way who are looking to give it a go, get in touch with the Mountain Pedaler and he'll fill you in on the location.

Something about making your way around a tight circuit with out a single pedal stroke that brings a whole new domension to MTB riding.

Mountain Pedaler out...

Monday, January 07, 2008

Team rider Nic unleashes the Crow!


Thanks to the sharp photography skills of Neil Gardner; a spectator at last years Bike HQ DH series final, we can bring you some intense shots of team rider Nic Dey shredding on his Ventana El Cuervo.

Dreadlocked demon Nic goes off camber

It is always great to see photos of Ventanas in action, and one can not question the skill of these pedal paparazzi, especially considering the pace Nic carries down the hill!

Mountain Pedaler out...