6 Hr Mid-Winter Breakout!

Yep, it's that time of year again! Time to gather your team, get creative about your riding kit, dig out the gazebo, organise who's bringing the brazier - oh, and get your bike humming!

Once again brought to you by the Nelson Mountain Bike Club and the Park team, this event promises to be one of the highlights of your year. Many of the first-timers who came last year were blown away by how much fun they could have on a mountain bike in the depths of winter. We're expecting them to be 'breaking out' again, this time!

This year's course at the MTB Park will be a bit easier and shorter than before so there's really no excuse not to join in. Plus, there are lots of different categories available to cater for (almost) every taste.

Responding to some of the excellent feedback from 2012, the organising committee have come up with a couple of changes for this year...
First, we're offering a "Lucky Dip" option. This is for those who want to join in the fun but are short of a team. Check the box on the entry form and we'll match you up with some riding buddies - what better way to make new friends!

We'll also be revamping the Tent City layout to create a central "village hub". This is where you'll find the food stalls, coffee cart, beer & ginger beer counter, big screen video of track action and other cool stuff. This will be the place to hang-out if your tent or gazebo isn't feeling cosy enough.

Check out the video on our park TV in the sidebar for an idea of how a couple of teams entered into the spirit of the event last year. And I can vouch that the featured, pinked-out Ditsy Chicks are already working on their bumblebee outfits for the coming one :)

We had 460 riders in 2012 and we're expecting even bigger numbers this time round so don't leave getting your entry in too late just in case we find we're maxed out. All entries are on-line at the above link.

For those that want to come for the weekend and try out the rest of the Park's track network, the Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp is offering a 20% discount on accommodation! You can go straight to their website using the hyperlink on the sidebar to make your booking.
That will also give you the opportunity to join some of us on our Saturday Night Ride, followed by beer & pizza in The Beached Whale afterwards :)

Keep an eye on our facebook page for updates and other cool things planned for around the event.

This is going to be FUN!

Mapboard, slips... and coffee.

Next time you're out at the Park, check out our new mapboard. Along with an up-to-date map of the track network, you'll find lots of useful information like Recommended Circuits and how to get involved in our volunteer working bees.

This is also where we put notices about temporary track closures, Lost & Found items and upcoming events so it's always a good idea to swing by the board when starting a ride.

It was designed for us by Andy Lowe of Image Creators, one of our Gold Sponsors.

Talking about track closures, A big THANK YOU to everyone for respecting the notices and not venturing on to those sections of Easy Rider currently taped off. Riding ER before it has been groomed & compacted really does delay its re-opening so we appreciate your cooperation.

The recent heavy rains caused one significant slip on the lower end of ER. While still passable, with one dismount, extra care needs to be taken where the width of the track has been narrowed. Mouse, our digger, is progressing top-to-bottom with the Cycle Trail upgrade so will repair this damage when he gets there (which will close this section of track).

On the whole, however, the Park escaped pretty lightly- again :P

This was partly due to the variables that determine where a rain bomb is going to land and, partly, to track design that prioritises the ability to shed water.

There were some minor slips (mainly on Swamp Monster) and a few culvert washouts - none of which seriously disrupted the circuit. If anything, they served to show us how design in some instances could be improved so that, when our 'bomb' does arrive, hopefully the tracks will be better able to cope.

Clearing heavily water-logged clay from a track is hard work. Luckily for me, 'Grib' Buchanan was in town. 

Before moving back to Dunedin, Grib was a valuable asset to the Park. 

In his spare time, he would often pack his small shovel into his biking backpack and nip out to the tracks to carry out minor maintenance.

Grib understood the importance of dealing with things early - before they became a bigger problem - and the tracks all flowed the better for it.

Most people would never notice the difference, perhaps just commenting on how well the tracks were riding, and that, in itself, was his reward.

So, while recently revisiting the region on holiday, it was typical of our former committee member to offer a hand in clearing the slips. A long day later, I headed off for a well-earned Friday night beer. Grib headed off for a ride...

Over on our Facebook page, Jackson Carver recently posted a short video of himself and a friend riding Corkscrew. It was shot & edited by Indigo Muir, who is obviously an emerging talent. We've uploaded it to our park TV (on the sidebar) so you can all enjoy it.

Working Bees

Having agreed at the start of the year that we would reduce our working bees from weekly to monthly, we've now decided to up them to fortnightly! 

Seems there's nothing like a new track project to get our volunteers all keen. We've had good turn-outs to our last two w/bees and made a good start on hand-benching our new, Intermediate-grade, singletrack. It's going to carry on from Skullduggery and be similar in character, something we know many of you enjoy.

While the dotted line on the map above is only representational, it will connect onto Easy Rider and create a great loop of the Park.

If you haven't managed to make it along to a working bee yet, you really should. Not just for the fact that the Park relies on us all for it's development but because you'd discover how enjoyable they are! By definition, volunteers are good people so, right off, you're going to make new friends. 

Then there's the satisfaction of helping to create a bit of new trail and you'll always feel a buzz at that spot whenever you later ride it. We always stop mid-morning for a cake'n'coffee break (thanks to New World and The Beached Whale) - at least when the w/bee supervisors are on the ball! - and there's usually someone who's up for a ride afterwards. Check out the calendar for the next one...

Mid-Winter 6 Hour Breakout

Now less than two months away, it's time to start thinking about who's going to be in your team and, for the creative, what you're going to wear :-) 

June 23 is the date to load onto your calendar. Once again, the Tent Village will be at Bethany Park but the circuit will be different: a little easier, a bit shorter and even more fun! We'll post more detail nearer the time...

Finally (there's always a finally), it's fantastic to see so many riders out on the tracks, esp. with the school holidays upon us. From nippers being helped over the rollers on the Pump Track to teens exploring the expert lines off the ridge, it's obvious the Park is attracting new fans all the time.

And for regulars or newcomers alike, don't forget to finish your ride at the Shoreline Cafe & Restaurant on the beachfront and ask for the Mountain Biker Special of a $5 coffee'n'cake - to be enjoyed while you gaze out over the Autumn-calm bay and reflect on how good life is :-)

Easy Rider gets easier

Stuart Hughes, GTT Project Manager trials the new bridge.

As the Tasman Great Taste Trail winds it's way closer and closer to Kaiteriteri, locals are beginning to notice a few changes in the area.

First to appear was the new bridge over the Riwaka River. This now enables cyclists coming from Motueka or Riwaka to turn right onto Goodall Rd before crossing the bridge and popping out onto Pah Rd, opposite Pah Point.

The proposed route for the cycleway from there is to follow the coastline of Tapu Bay.

Once current roadworks around Turners Bluff are complete, it will cross the Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Rd near the entrance to the Mountain Bike Park.

This is going to be a stunning section of the Trail and hugely popular with locals and visitors alike.
The history of Maori occupation and early European settlement in Tapu Bay will be brought to life - and all thanks to the bicycle!

The challenge for those of us engaged with the Park is now to extend the Grade 2 cycleway standards onto Easy Rider.
ER was designed as a Grade 3 mountain bike track. It's purpose is to provide an earlier entry point into the Park's trail network for those that cycle out, bypassing much of the steep and winding road that carries on to Kaiteriteri.

Carl Walls of Motueka Excavations makes a start...

 But getting Grade 3 down to Grade 2 is no easy matter!

We revamped the entry switchbacks behind the pump track before xmas (see Dec 19 post) before knocking off for the Summer.

Last month we swung into action again, this time at the other end of ER.

Our original entry/exit point here was always meant as a temporary fix, pending proposed road-widening plans.

As these works have stalled, we got the go-ahead to make our new entrance. Numerous truck-loads of excavated soil (and countless wasp nests) later, we had something resembling a track.

In fact, at present, it more resembles a road - but, once trackside vegetation springs back, it will quickly become a green corridor that provides an inviting entry to the MTB Park.

The outlook over Tapu Bay will remain the same, though.

And, as with most of our best viewpoints, you can expect to see a seat to appear at some stage to encourage you to stop and soak it all up.

We're expecting that those Great Taste Trail riders who venture onto Easy Rider for their first real 'mtb' experience will like what they find :-)

Grade 2 comes to Kaiteriteri

The excavated soil was just what we needed back at the main Park entrance...

Filling in a deep gully, we were able to ease the gradient of the track that enters from Martin Farm Rd and climbs up to our entrance hub.

This had a steep final pitch that often saw beginners & little 'uns pushing their bikes - not a good start for their mountain biking experience!

The big, wide, swooping corners we've just created now ensure you arrive at the mapboard with smiles instead of sweat.

Meanwhile, we've moved back onto the track proper - with Mighty Mouse, our hard-working little digger.

Much of Easy Rider will be closed while we carry out the upgrade work so some patience will be required. Wherever you see tape closing an entrance, it indicates either that Mouse is at work somewhere along that section or that grooming is in progress. As soon as we feel the track can accommodate bike traffic without causing tyre ruts, we'll remove the tape. A little rain will help  :P

Our monthly working bees are cranking back into life. Check out the calendar for details of the next one. Expect to see the short bypass at the top of Big Airs open, next time you're up there. The option of toughing out the granny-ring grind up to the Skullduggery hub is still open to you but we'll see how many take it now there's an easier alternative...

Haven't joined us on Facebook yet..? What's keepin' ya!

Corkscrew Sunday!

After a couple of trial runs, we're now ready to launch our series of monthly Sunday races up and down Corkscrew.

The emphasis in these timed runs up to the skid, where we regroup before timed descents for a combined total, is on improving upon previous PBs.

There will be prizes up for grabs for the male & female who log the biggest improvements over the series.

We'll also have leaderboards for M&F fastest up, fastest down and fastest combined. We may even scratch something together for the end-of-series leaders but kudos will be your biggest reward!

In order to prevent the leaderboards being burgled by some passing pro, we're introducing entry criteria.
The first is:
You have to attend the Sunday morning working bee, prior the midday event, for at least one hour to qualify for entry;
And secondly:
You have to attend two Corkscrew Sundays to have your best time recorded. 
Those who attended the first two events are counted as having attended one w/bee (how generous is that!).

Those of you who suspect that this is just a cunning plan to encourage you to come to a working bee aren't wrong. Our agenda is two-fold...
A. We want you to discover the sense of camaraderie and achievement that comes from track-building.
B. We want to build more track and need help to do it!

As well as linking Corkscrew Sunday to a w/bee, we're also introducing a major change to our w/bee schedule. This year our working bees will be monthly. We want these to become events in themselves, complete with refreshments (donated by Motueka New World), and finished with a fun ride.

Not only will these free you up your intervening weekends, it means the enthusiasts among us will be freed up to occasionally help our track-building friends elsewhere in the region - after all, we like riding their tracks, as well!

Meanwhile, there will be nothing stopping our local volunteers from working away on our track project at other times, whether evenings or weekends, so there will be plenty of opportunity to get your fix ;-)

Our first combined working bee and Corkscrew Sunday is on February 17.

It will run 8.30am - 11.30am, leaving time for a quick bite or warm-up before the time trial at noon.

Emails, facebook and the website calendar will help make sure you don't miss it. Details of where to meet, what the project is and what to bring will be posted.

We have one small and one major project in store for this year, both guaranteed to be popular additions to the network. The surveying is underway so you'll hear more about them soon...





I recently trawled our archives for an early w/bee pic.

This one dates from 4 years ago and the encouraging thing about it is the number of faces present who are still logging Sunday morning appearances!

They shared the vision then - and are still helping make it happen now...

Of course, there are lots of other ways that people support the project. Another long-standing contributor is David Konecny.

David manages our website, giving it the occasional fresh-up and is always happy to tweak it to perform the way we want.

Like many dads, he also likes to take his son Vincent for a spin in the Park.

The pump track, Easy Rider and Cruise Control are always favourites with those just getting the hang of their first mountain bike. My experience is - they learn fast and the window for passing on skills is brief!

The Corkscrew Tree

As expected, the Park's been pretty busy over the past month.

You don't often notice it on the tracks but stand in one place for any length of time and you'll be passed by a constant stream of riders.
Sometimes this means that an otherwise quick bit of maintenance can take 2-3 times as long, as grateful bikers stop to express their appreciation and share news of developments in their own regions. Whether it's summer holiday returnees reveling in the new tracks or newcomers exploring the network for the first time, I always get a buzz out of seeing the smiles on their faces.

Jane Pikethley (pink) from Gisborne and Tracy Harwood (blue) from Wellington were certainly enjoying themselves!
Staying at Tracy's family bach at Little Kaiteriteri meant they could be on the tracks within a couple of minutes of pedaling.

Tracy's husband, Phil Hartwick, also introduced his grown-up daughters to mountain biking during their visit, creating some more fans of the Park's 'family-friendly' tracks.

No doubt, they'll soon be joining the throngs of 'returnees'...





One of the tasks I've had on my To Do list for a while is to plant a 'Corkscrew Tree' on the Corkscrew skidsite.

Earlier attempts to get one going on a nearby post were frustrated by the corkscrews going missing within a matter of days. A strange choice for a souvenir, you'd think, especially in these days of screwtops, but there's no accounting for taste.

I decided I wouldn't be deterred... yet.
While planting my post, a relieved Mal McGrath from Christchurch topped out at the skid.

He was happy to give me an idea of how its positioning would work while giving me an update on the riding in his home town.






No sooner had Mal left than James Smith, also of ChCh, arrived, grateful to have made his first ascent!

It was a fairly humid day, and that last pitch had been tough, but James recovered quickly enough to ceremonially insert the inaugural corkscrew into the Tree.

I managed to get another 3-4 in before my mobile went. A rider had broken her wrist on Skullduggery and an ambulance was required.

Fortunately, as well as having a phone (and paracetamol!), she had a map. She assured me she could walk okay so I was able to direct her to a track hub where I could meet her and take her to the ambulance rendezvous point.

She also had a spare inner tube and remembered an earlier Park blog where we showed how a tube could be fashioned into a makeshift sling. This proved an ideal way to support her arm on the long walk out. So, all in all, pretty well prepared for that moment when her bike turned into a bucking steed.

I was able to get back to the Tree a couple of days later and complete the job. The two on top were donated by Park regulars so I hope they, at least, last the distance.

Maybe they'll even inspire you to scour your cutlery drawers for that now-obsolete corkscrew. I've left a few holes empty just in case...

While on Corkscrew... last month we trialled our first Corkscrew Sunday event.

Ten riders turned up for the timed ascents and descents of the track for a combined total. The idea is to log times over the course of a monthly series and chart performance improvement (or not).

It was a popular format, especially as it gave a rare opportunity to bomb down the track without fear of meeting someone coming up.

We'll be holding the January one soon so check in on our Facebook page for notification.

Before I packed up for the day - to take my wife back to the hospital for a CT scan on that wrist, Scott Cameron turned up.

Scott is a Kaiteriteri local who probably walks the tracks more than he bikes. He asked if I'd mind if he invested in a slasher to  trim the trackside overgrowth of bracken and fern fronds during his walks.

Mind....?!!

We bikers love it when the Park's many walkers take it upon themselves to keep the tracks debris-free and those pesky fronds from face-slapping us as we whizz along.

It's a great way for them to show their thanks to the volunteers who have given so much of their time in creating the network.


It's a sort of "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" trade.

Just don't use one of those corkscrews to do it  ;-)

2013 Park map

Here it is, our latest trail map :-)

We had to delay getting it to the printer so we could include a couple of late additions but we ended up making the deadline by at least a couple of hours.

Cruise Control is already proving popular with beginners and experienced riders alike. Somehow it now takes an extra effort of will to take the Sidewinder/Swamp Monster option but its calorific value probably equates to a slice of xmas cake.

Corkscrew takes the title of People's Favourite - mainly, I think, because you get two tracks for the price of one. I was told recently by a local we shouldn't bother with building our planned downhill line because he'll still choose to come down Corkscrew. We've included it in our 2013 build programme, anyway...

Our three ridgeline descents are still as challenging as ever but they each have their fans. Due to the stupidly steep gradients of the upper sections, these tracks are technically 'unsustainable' but, somehow, four years later, they're still there. Make a clean run of all three and you're eligible for one of our Special Edition 'Expert' Park t-shirts.

On hot days, when you need to seek shelter from the beach, it's always a relief to enter the forest. The damp gullies of Shady Lady, Glade Runner and Skullduggery offer cool havens and, if you care to stop, you may find you have some of the native birdlife for company.

If it's views you're after, the one from Corkscrew's skidsite is probably the most photographed, but take a cruise along the ridge to Flamin' Nora if you want the full monty. A personal favourite lies on Bay View between the water tank and Swish - easily missed so you need to be looking if you want that bay view.

Scoot is ably fulfilling its role as a handy bypass so we've been able to extend the One-Way section of Bay View all of the way down to Swish. Now you can hit those swooping BV corners knowing you have the track to yourself ;-)

An extension of the hand-built Skullduggery into the southern perimeter of the Park will be the focus of 2013's working bees. "The volunteers want a project!", we've been told and we're delivering. It's a densely-vegetated part of the Park so if any of you vols want to help with surveying (read: bush-bashing), we'll be keen to hear from you...

This Summer, to help newcomers orientate themselves to the network, we've added a few arrows to our marker posts.
The green will steer you along our recommended Easy route, the blue for a more challenging Moderate circuit.
You'll even find a blue on green combo for a mix of both grades - how's that for ensuring you have a stress-free holiday!

Our tear-off padmaps are in the process of being distributed around the region. The Beach Camp Office is already well-stocked, as are several Motueka outlets. A gold coin donation is always appreciated but, if you think that's too much to ask, you can print one off from the Map link on the menu bar.
Having made the effort to get to us, we want to make sure you get the most out of what's on offer.

And finally, with the increased numbers in the Park over the holidays, it's great to hear those bells jingling! Much as I look forward to meeting new people on the tracks, I'd rather it's not on a blind corner :P

Have a great holiday.

Easy Rider Upgrade - A Start...

Those of you who have been following the progress of the Tasman Great Taste Trail (GTT), the region's family-friendly cycleway, will be aware that its heading for Kaiteriteri.

The Mountain Bike Park's contribution to this venture was to allow one of our most popular tracks, Easy Rider, to become part of the cycleway route. This meant that GTT cyclists will be able to avoid the steep, narrow, winding road between Tapu Bay and Kaiteriteri.

As gentle as Easy Rider is, however, it is still outside of the Grade 2 parameters that apply to the GTT.
This means that we need to go over the entire length of the track widening, smoothing and, to some extent, leveling it to meet the requisite standard.
And, as the 'new' Easy Rider will extend right through to the Park entrance off Martin Farm Rd, it means Salivater will be subsumed into the cycleway route.

Digger operator Karl Thompson and I recently made a start on the project,. We decided to tackle the biggest challenge first - upgrading Salivater.

There is a sense of irony about the complete remodeling Salivater has undergone. Jonathan Kennett surveyed this track, our first, back in September 2008, using a clinometer and piece of string to good effect. In September 2012, I walked the same track with Jonathan, taking mental notes as he pointed out where  gradients were too steep and switchbacks too tight for Grade 2 trail. If only we'd known at the time  :P

So we say goodbye to Salivater (left) and welcome the first stage in the upgrade project (right).
And, yes, they are the same section of track...

But the above is minor compared to the eight(!) new switchbacks that have been sculptured by Karl and Mighty Mouse the digger (somehow its first name stuck).
They finished their artistry on Monday and, in our haste to get the track (re)opened as soon as possible, Matt McCann and I set to with rake and compactor.

Here, Matt puts the finishing touches on the swooping new intersection that connects with the short section of  original track remaining to link you to the rest of the Park's network.

In fact, Matt  - who part-times at Stewarts Cycles in Nelson - pushed and pulled the compactor over the whole length of track in some of the hottest days we've had so far - so buy him an ice-cream if you see him on the beach this summer.

The berms are still a bit soft so go easy until they've had a chance to settle...

Then it was down to the bottom to take down the tape and open the track for business!

Arriving on the scene were Marushka and Pete Lucas, over from Golden Bay.
They were the perfect couple to 'test ride' the entry switches and gracious enough to let me snap a pic in the process.

I've no idea whether or not they intend to ride the rest of the Great Taste Trail but they can certainly lay claim to be the first to ride part of it from Kaiteriteri :-)


We're taking a break over the busy Summer period but are looking forward to carrying on with the rest of Easy Rider's upgrade in the new year. It's scheduled for completion by July 2013 but don't be surprised if we beat that deadline - we've got too many other other projects in mind to let it take that long.

Coming up... our new Park map!