A lot is expected of modern trail bikes. Long-travel bikes climb so well these days, and short-travel bikes have progressed to the point where, most of the time, the rider’s the limiting factor on all but the biggest features. It’s cutting a fine sli

The 1990s were an exciting time for mountain bike parts. It was a decade when cottage industry manufacturers were pushing the boundaries of CNC machining with riotous exuberance. It was the era that spawned Kooka’s splatter-annodised cranks and Ringl

The tarps are packed, the iconic strings of lanterns have been pulled down, the only movement now at Christchurch’s notorious Bowenvale jumps is the slowly encroaching weeds and grass swaying in the breeze. The only bikes that come close to these onc

Prototype. The word sends shivers of excitement down any mountain biker’s spine. Often shrouded in secrecy, word of a new bike in development passes through the community in whispers or in the dark corners of internet forums, while we wait for detail

These days it’s rare to go on a ride without having a conversation about broken derailleurs, snapped chains, or for someone to wax nostalgic about the indefatigable drivetrains of yesteryear. It sometimes seems like there’s an arms race to cram more

If you’ve ever ridden in Christchurch’s Port Hills, you would’ve looked across the azure waters of Lyttelton Harbour and seen the hulking mass of Te Ahu Patiki/Mt Herbert. At 909m, it’s the highest peak on Banks Peninsula, but unless you’ve got a pen

How could we not be lost in the moment as we wound under the Mesozoic canopy of the Whirinaki forest? The thick fern ceiling was dwarfed by giant tōtara, rimu, and mataī trees, a forest David Bellamy had described as a “living cathedral”. This specta

It seems fitting that Zerode’s legendary downhill bike was the result of two restless minds meeting while working on an iconic trail that bears the name of a great New Zealander. It was the summer of late 2005 in Whakarewarewa Forest and Rob Metz and

Ellie Chew could be one of our best-kept secrets, at least within New Zealand. On a global scale she’s become something of an action sports icon, but most people in NZ wouldn’t recognise her in the street. Best known as a BMX rider, Ellie has had qui

“There are known knowns—there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns—that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.” That was the res

Rider Location: Carry On, Queenstown, NZ. Shutter speed: 1/1600 Aperture: f2.8 ISO: 1600 Photographer Earlier in the summer, Brett and I were involved in a long but rewarding video project based around the hunt for a New Zealand venue capable of host

“Progression” is a concept that lurks at the core of mountain biking culture. The idea is that, as mountain bikers, we should continuously improve our skills and abilities on our bikes. But what if it's bollocks? I originally wrote “what if it's all

Late last year Arizona-based brand Pivot launched the newest member of their Shuttle family—the SL. A short-travel, lightweight, pedal-assist rocket ship for the ages, the SL is Pivot’s first foray into lightweight eMTBs, the hottest category in biki

Rider Location: Cardrona Bike Park, NZ. Shutter speed: 1/2500 Aperture: f3.5 ISO: 200 Photographer It’s been a minute since we saw some of the world’s best gracing our trails; three years give or take. To see the likes of Laurie back here for the sum

Location: Airplane Mode, Squamish, Canada. Shutter speed: 1/800 Aperture: f2.8 ISO: 6400 Back in 2017, after one of their famous lunchtime trail rides, the crew at OneUp Components in Squamish, BC, decided that the town needed a flowy jump trail. Var

Despite being physically shattered, Annie Ford’s unbridled, infectious enthusiasm and zeal for life somehow still radiated from her. Not only had she completed an epic threemonth solo journey cycling and surfing the length of New Zealand aboard a San

Watching the sun disappear over the hills with a beer in hand, surveying years of hard work, we never envisioned that this place would turn into the trail network we have now. When Hamish and I went through photos and mem- ories to write this article

It’s a kind of national self-ideation so encrusted with cliches that it can seem kind of banal: DIY, No.8 wire, give-it-a-go, grab a fundraiser snag, wrap it in white bread, and insert a hardware store slogan here. We’ve always taken pride in our ing

Rider Location: Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua, NZ. Shutter speed: 1/1000 Aperture: f1.8 ISO: 1600 Photographer The climb to this special part of the forest is a hard task in the heat, but the trails never fail to deliver. This part of the trail is no

The riders in the lift line seem to be getting younger every year. The sea of bobble-heads might make it easier to see the end of the queue, but you don’t want one of those short-of-stature senders behind you on a jump line. The groms are riding hard

Rider Location: Queenstown, NZ. Shutter speed: 1/800 Aperture: f6.3 ISO: 400 Photographer In the aftermath of a bush fire, we found an unexpected freeride playground. The scorched terrain provided plenty of line choices that made for an otherworldly

Carbon rims have come a long way in the past ten years. While they’ve always been lightweight and stiff, they had a reputation for being teeth-rattlingly unforgiving and wallet-rattlingly fragile. As a result, their main benefactors were XC racers an

Photographer When a planned shoot on Matairangi’s Park Bench trail fell apart, my youngest son Max and I figured we’d nab a few photos with just the two of us. As I was getting ready to shoot him, a stealthy dressed and very steezy rider effortlessly

Mountain biking is a violent sport. If we’re not blowing up corners, we’re smashing through rock gardens or hucking our meat. It’s so violent that we wear body armour. All things going well, the bikes take most of the punishment, and they aren’t chea

Back in November, we found ourselves with a balmy day after riding the Old Ghost Road, and in no rush to head home to Christchurch. We took a chance on one of those iconic yellow AA arrows displaying ‘Denniston Plateau’, skipping the turn-off to the

On the 19th of October 2021 I went for a bike ride. This wasn’t surprising or unusual, I’d gone for a ride the previous 1387 days. However, I’d never ridden more than 800km before and, in all honesty, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The

I’ve known of Sam Shaw for years, even though, as I remarked to him, we have never properly met. In 2013, Geoffrey Notman and I were trackside watching the Elite/U23 XC National Champs race in Rotorua. It was as hot as hell and we drank beer while G

Alaska has a storied history as one of the world’s most revered destinations for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. The expanses of ridable terrain during the long Alaskan winters are seemingly endless. It has long been a rite of passage for winter