N Duro Super D Sunday

i had a great fun day out riding some rather slippery trails. it was just like a fun day out with your mates with a bit more stop starting then usual which resulted in some shivering action but we all survived it :)

my first run was way too rugged, should have changed my low profile summer tires for some with a bit of grip! oh well i will learn for next time, i hope. 
had one massive spill in pretty much the first corner of the course (it had become way more greasy since the practice run), had to fix handle bars as well as seat before i could ride the rest of the track. next run was a little better with still some offs but not loosing quite as much time on this run, managed to pull out fastest female run of the day on that run but still no chance to catch up on my lost time from my first run. Janine Kavanagh and Katie O'Neill took first and second overall ahead of me. Thanks for a fun day everyone!
thanks Tim and Belinda Farmer (N Duro Events) and their helpers for a fantastic event!

Well done Carl Jones on winning the mens race (fastest combined time but also had the fastest race run of the day), Louis Hamilton 2nd and Keegan Wright 3rd. 

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/131845106@N05/17198438271/

sorry i couldn't upload the pic.

2W Gravity Enduro race #1 2014

super stoked to finish 2nd overall at my first enduro event. had a great fun time riding in rather testing conditions. we had rain, hail, snow, wind and sunshine, and not to forget some stunning rainbows :) and lots and lots of mud!!! it was probably the craziest weather we have had for quite some time!

a bunch of us rode from stage to stage which made the day a heap of fun just like a good day out riding with a bunch of mates. we saw a few riders shivering in the queues so it seemed like we made the right choice to stay warm by riding up. 

Galaxy Travel NDuro Winter series 2014

Thanks for a great event series Tim and Belinda Farmer (N-Duro Events)! great to see so many riders doing the events, enjoying our great trails and sunny weather (apart from the 2nd one which was a bit wet). I am stoked to Win the series after a last hard race on sunday where I finished 2nd to Katie. the legs and body in general were a little confused after 2 weeks off the bike! tough course, well done everyone!

Race 2 of the Galaxy Travel N-Duro Winter Series 2014

Race #2 of Galaxy Travel N-Duro Winter series done and dusted. after listening to the rain hammering on the roof all night i was prepared for a 'Mudfest', or so i thought. to be honest i wasn't expecting it to be quite that muddy! it was fun sliding through the trails and made for a rather different riding experience. happy to take my second win in the girls race. thanks everyone for a great fun race! thanks for the photo Graeme Murray.

Galaxy Travel NDuro Winter Series Race 1

after over a year since my last race i finally decided it was time to get back into a bit of racing and the Galaxy travel NDuro Winter Series seemed like a good place to start as they are always fun which to me is a big draw card. 2 weeks of moderate training and it was race day. it was awesome to see so many people show up to participate and so many familiar faces, most of them rather surprised to see me on the start line.  i got straight back into the groove and was really enjoying the trails, ended up winning the womens overall, very stocked. looking forward to seeing you all next months for some more hurt up the hills and fun through the trails.

Sunday away ride with a bunch of like minded people, a few colourful bikes and perfect weather, what more can you ask for??

thanks Graeme Murray for the pics!
www.graememurray.com

ride / workbee / ride on western okataina track

wow what a day! 

it did take 3 weeks to organise this, since we are all too soft to go out in the pouring rain, but we finally did it and i would say it was a success on all fronts. so the mission was to fix a river crossing on the western okataina track and as a reward ride there and back with a slight detour to the trig. 

the riding was fantastic, the scenery stunning and the crew were doing a fantastic job, well done everyone!

thanks for taking the pics Nick Lambert (zeroseven)

this sums it up: " Yesterday a few of us along with Simon Tuck from DOC rode into the Western Okataina to put a culvert across a washed out stream crossing. A fresh frosty start but it was an awesome day! One more stream crossing to get a bridge and the trail will be fully rideable from Miller rd to Okataina. Cheers to everyone for your help!"

skills session with Martha from Singapore

Martha from Singapore sent me this photo after our skills session together. 

We were enjoying the stunning view before heading down the trails, what a stunning day. 

like a kid in a lolly shop

i tend to ride the same trails most rides since i prefer those trails over others, every so often i start getting bored of them and have to find other trails to keep my interest up.

sometimes i don't realise what i am missing when riding the same trails most rides.  

but when i get to ride a new trail with different features and characters i realise what i have been missing.

there is a challenge of having to adapt to the trail, a charm in getting to know and understand it and it sparks up that passion for riding that i felt when i first started.

here is a taster of what we will be able to ride soon, it's called Boulderdash. i can't wait!

bring it on! :)

a little easter away ride to Waihaha Hut

we decided it was time to scope out a ride we hadn't done before. Waihaha Hut Track had been on our list for quite sometime now so  it was about time we had a look.
the weather was perfect, sunny but not too hot. there were a few rather dark clouds hanging about but they never found the courage to do anything more then look intimidating, luckily for us.
the ride is not very long, it's 9km to the hut and bikes are not allowed beyond there. but the scenery is super stunning with big smooth boulders, crystal clear rivers and massive native trees so you get plenty to look at and admire. the track is quite technical in places with steps and ruts and roots to keep you on your toes and in places you will have to carry your bike but not for long. unfortunately it was also rather overgrown so in some sections of trail we were battling for room and couldn't see the track for the overgrowth. but the awesome downhill sections and the stunning views made up for the bit of grovelling we had to do. we got back to the car with massive grins on our faces.

and not to forget, we also saw a common Robin on a tree right next to the track. the little bird was not fazed at all by our presents, it was quite special.

Whakapapa on Mount Ruapehu - great fun and stunning views

our stunning mountains

This was almost 3 weeks ago on the way to the mountain for a day of skiing. It was great fun but it needed a bit more snow. Unfortunately there is less snow there now rather then more. 

Hopefully we will get to enjoy some more great days up Mount Ruapehu soon. Can't wait!

I am off for a run in the rain instead.

3 D Rotorua

what a fantastic event! 

it was extremely well organised, with stunning & challenging courses and a great atmosphere! 

an event to put on the list if it's not already on there!

i didn't do the main event which is the premier multisport title race, but instead the Duathlon event of the 3D Rotorua Off-Road Winter Multisport Festival. i have not yet learnt how to paddle so had to opt for the mtb & run event. but nevertheless i has a fantastic time doing the event.

the great thing was that the duathletes lined up with the mountain bikers and so we got to do the mtb race as if we 'only' did that distance but instead we then kept going by foot to cover the next 12km, up some hurtful stairs and weaving through stunning redwoods walking trails. 

i wasn't really in race mode before the event or on the start line but fortunately i got into it as soon as the gun went off, i couldn't just let the others ride away from me ;)

the field spread out pretty quickly so we had enough room to enjoy the riding. the race course started with a grassy climb along Tarawera road up to the water tank before heading into the main mountain bike trail network via Lynmore link. i had a great time racing a couple of other riders, we kept swapping positions due to being faster on the climbs or faster through the single trails which made for some good racing. we were pushing each other on throughout the course. i had no idea if they were doing the duathlon just like me or if their race finished at the transition zone, to be honest i really didn't care i just wanted to win the battle that was going on right there and then and i would focus on the run when i got to it, plus i did not want to think about the run as i was not sure how the legs would cope with it after the ride. i was pretty happy to get to the transition zone first and completely forgot that i was meant to quickly change into my running shoes, instead i was taking my time ... wasting quite a bit of time, oh well...

the run was a 2 lap course with a nice (painful) uphill section in the first part of the loop, my pace was a slow shuffle all the way up to the top and didn't get any faster the second time up, despite my wishful thinking that the legs would warm into it. i was glad that i at least managed to stretch the legs a bit on the downhill and flatter sections so it felt more like a run again.

i had a great fun day out there and was pleased to finish as first women and 6 overall in the duathlon. 

i would recommend the 3D Rotorua Festival to anyone no matter what event you would like to do and there are many!!! to choose from!


PS: i went to check out the half marathon course on Monday and it was so much fun that i had to do it again today. this is a proper off road course through the bush and the redwoods on a mix of walking tracks, some wider and smooth and others tighter with roots to keep you on your toes, it will keep you honest and will be very rewarding to do. unlike other so called 'off road' running courses where you end up running on gravel roads for most of the course. so if you like running or walking off road and don't want to mountain bike then the Half Marathon Run or Walk is certainly a very good option for you.  

xterra new zealand 2012

on the podium with Elizabeth Orchard (3rd) and Jacqui Slack (winner)

a bit of cross training on skies on the snow just 3 weeks before the event was probably not the ideal lead up for xterra but it was great for the mind and so much fun! we had the best conditions we could wish with new snow falling almost every day or night making for a perfect playground and any skiers dream :)

i did do some swimming before the race this year, which was a good start but it wasn't really enough as i only started in February. unfortunately swimming is such a technique sport that it will take me more then just a couple of month to make some improvements, oh well there is hope for next year.
so like last year i was last out of the water in the pro field, together with Sonia. it's slightly daunting when you find your bike is one of the only ones left in the transition zone, it's also an effective wake up call to start catching up.

i didn't have the best race on saturday, i didn't seem to be able to push as hard as i would have liked to which was frustrating especially since i had so many people supporting me and i wanted to do well for them too. it was only on my last running lap that i felt i was able to push a good pace,  it felt good to finally go fast. it was just a bit late in the race to make much improvement but managed to run up to 2nd place, passing Susie Wood towards the end of the 1st lap and Nic Leary on the 2nd lap. there was never any chance that i was going to catch up to the leader Jacqui Slack who was 7min or so faster out of the water and won the event with a comfortable lead of 5min, awesome job!
Nic Leary got 4th and Susie Wood 5th, nice work.

thanks everyone for a fantastic race!

Yay i got 2nd at Xterra Rotorua!

just a quick note that i managed to improve my last xterra performance and i got 2nd to Jacqui Slack from GBR and Elizabeth Orchard got 3rd. i am well stocked with this result :)

Rotorua cycle-way

i went for a great road ride a couple of days ago. i love heading out on the road bike but i don't like busy roads and i like some nice scenery to look at, yes i know i am not that easy to please! lucky for me there are places close by where i find all this! so i headed out towards Waikiti to scope out a new loop, i find it  exciting to ride new routs as you never know what you will see and the landscape is just stunning around there with rolling hill, lakes, cliffs, boulders and some cool houses. 

my legs were not feeling that fresh to start off with so the first few hills where a bit hard going but i the legs slowly warmed up. i was expecting to get some rain but instead i got sunshine which was such a great surprise! there were some big thunderclouds building up looking like the weather could change any minute but i just got to admire them rather then feel the effect of them, very cool and lucky! 

to finish my ride i decided to check out a part of the new cycle way called Te Ara O Ahi (the pathway of fire)  that goes from Rotorua to Orakei Korako. the part i was doing follows state highway 5 from Waipa Rotorua (mountain bike car park) towards Taupo ending at Tumunui road. i was going to ride it the other way so i headed up Tumunui rd which is a killer on a good day as there seems to be climb after climb after climb but it is even more testing when you have tired legs and on top of that some lovely headwind! yeah i loved it! hm maybe not quite but it feels good once i made it out the other side. from there i jumped on the new cycle way and this one took me all the way back to Rotorua without having to fight the cars and you could even stop for a picnic if you were so inclines, awesome!

Te Ara Ahi cyclists 'rest area'. photo & bike Dave Donaldson

so a great road ride: stunning scenery, sunshine and hardly no cars, can't ask for more really!

frozen lakes, not in Rotorua

i thought i share these images on here, even though they are of random people and are not from where i live these days but they are from where i grew up and it reminds me of how much fun you can have in the cold.

this is what happens when it has been very cold for some time (it has been minus 15 to minus 10 in Zurich lately!) so the lakes freeze over and people can play on them.

 keen cyclists??

party time, why not bring your furniture out on to the lake for the occasion?

Lake Zurich, Rapperswil

long weekend...

and the trails are dusty and mint so there was nothing to stop us from riding them over and over again and making the most of our long weekend! but how could we not aye? and there is no excuse with the forest full of trails right next to us.
every so often i have to pinch myself to make sure i am not dreaming as we are just so lucky to be living here in Rotorua next to this very large forest covered with wicked trails!
it's funny we have so many options but then we still then to ride some trails quite a lot more then others and a few we ride pretty much every ride, but then some other trails we forget they even exist . but everyone is always going to have favourites no matter the number of trails there are. we have been mixing it up a little more again lately and it's nice to ride some different trails again, it's like you are riding in a different place.
and i also had a few rides down the rock garden, which is probably the key feature of the Oceania cross country course in March. it's a nice little challenge to ride down it for the first time, it gets your heart pumping a bit quicker, which is quite nice.
below is what it looks like but it doesn't quite do it justice.

February 2012

i cannot believe it's February already! i guess part of it is because it doesn't feel like it. we are half way through summer and i have only just been for my first swim! and this isn't because i don't like going for a refreshing dip, it just hasn't been hot enough, or maybe i am just a bit soft.
the weather has been good lately which is so nice after we had a few too many days of rain leading into summer. the trails are in great condition where they are getting nice and dry and a little slidey on top. it will be getting to the point soon  (but maybe i am just too hopeful) where you will either need to stick really closely to the wheel in front or keep quite a distance, anything in between and you will be in a cloud of dust and won't be able to see where you are going. it is actually good fun!

we have been meaning to go back to our 'dear old friend' the Moerangi track for a while but the weather let us hang for quite some time so it was only the other weekend that we finally made it there. it was great to be back there surrounded by this stunning bush and wild life. the trail was unfortunately quite overgrown so it made it a little hard to ride in places. DoC promised us to get it cleared, so i will be back there soon, maybe even for a double crossing.

there is a new trail up in the native section at the top of Tawa rd, it's called Te Tihi o Tawa, a fantastic trail in magnificent bush leading back into Billy T. a must ride! :)

and... big Congratulations to Dirk Peters, Karen Hanlen and Anton Cooper for winning their individual XC National Championship Titels

i forgot to introduce my new bike...

santa cruz trc

my new favourite!! 

Shimano XT 10 speed with Fox Kashima Forks,... what else could you wish for? ah yeah of course some of those flash new wheels...

Easton EC90 carbon

it's so fast and nimble, stable and sooooo much fun!! :)

plus the new wheels are the bomb too


all thanks to Santa Cruz New Zealand and Bike Culture

so here it is my new pride and joy and new best buddy in crime.