Ibis Tuesday (or maybe Wednesday) - Cover Stars, Tranny's and Riding the HD.

Dave (Davo of Bushloveracing), writes product reviews for NZMTBer and also wise enough to ride an Ibis Mojo....so he (and the Ibis Mojo) are the cover models for the latest issue. 
(Fashion alert, your helmet straps have to be the same colour as your riding jersey too, bet you didn't know that?)

He's testing droppy seatposts in the latest issue and I'm always on the look out for a new droppy seatpost, just can't live without them.  I will even admit to being a droppy seatpost skeptic.....but not anymore.

And the question on every one's lips is; How is my Tranny Pump-Track bike project going?
Well, pretty slowly.....every time I post a picture of the bike on my blog, the phone rings and someone wants a small Tranny in the colour I want to keep for myself.  Although I am in the business of selling bikes, this was getting frustrating.  I have mentioned before, for a bike with no gears, one brake and not much of anything else...it always seem so hard for me to build one.

Anyhow, it sort of taking shape...waiting on new wheels, but I do have some really nice Straitline JL pedals, stem and bash guard on the bike.

Just the other day I got the new Easton Havoc bars in orange, so cool. 

I also picked up an actual Brian Lopes saddle from the Ibis factory, which may or may not have been used by Brian Lopes....who can tell.  But a used Lopes saddle from Ibis, must have been used by Lopes once, right?

Riding/raving about the Ibis Mojo HD


Righto, been meaning to get my thoughts down about Ibis Mojo HD for a while now.....but really you should take it as ‘no news is good news’. Also, I hope to have a few more in stock by the time you finish reading this too.

Firstly the HD looks mint, even my Vitamin P with red highlights colour scheme, the bike looks great and gets lots of looks....which may or may not be important to you.

The attention to detail is pretty well up there. Finely tuned DW linkage suspension with RP23 high volume shock, tapered steerer, Maxle rear axle, super stiff frames (but not too stiff, that you bounce off the trail) and cool subtle graphics.  Not forgetting how cool swoopy Mojo look is too.....so cool.

There is also an option list to choose from, a down-tube cable protector, custom chain-guide and different shock mounts so you can convert the bike to 140mm of travel (via a shorter eye to eye and stroke shock) from the original 160mm travel.

Three colour options is enough for most people to lose sleep over too, gloss white, a clear matte (so you can see the carbon) and the bright as Vitamin P (which honestly looks better in real life that you think). Also you can spec the frame with DHX5 air or RC4 coil, my recommendation is, if you’re anal about tuning your bike, get the RC4, otherwise stick the RP23.

When I visited Ibis HQ back in early September, I was able to talk to the guys about designing the new HD. They worked closely with Brian Lopes to make sure they designed a bike that was extremely capable, up, down and around corners. They also made sure the HD was laterally stiff, but not so stiff that you would feel unstable when the going gets rough.

Ibis also worked closely with Dave Weagle (designer of the DW-link suspension) and Fox, to make the HD one of the best pedalling bikes I have ridden. Honestly, you feel like you should be sprinting everywhere, the bike just accelerates like crazy.

My HD

Ok, so my HD is not an ‘out of the box’ spec, but I would expect that for NZ HD sales a good number of them would be custom builds or people moving up from their old Mojos.  Out of the box, I would go for X9 kit and a Float 36 fork.  This builds a nice bike and pretty sure is sub 30lbs.

I am a Fox Van36 fan(atic), pretty much don’t see the need for adjustable travel forks and I will always prefer springs and oil, to just air forks. Nelson riding is quite harsh, roots and rocks everywhere and even though air forks keep getting better...they are never going to be as plush as springs and oil.

1 x 10 set up, I was thinking about going 1 x 10 all last season, but I wanted to wait until I built a new bike. Pretty much sold on it, running a chain-guide means never dropping the chain and a lot less chain slap, this alone should convert most people. Also cleans up the handle bars with only one shifter and gives you plenty of room for your seat dropper remote.

Sure you lose your granny ring, but really, you just have to get a little harder....and running 32T front and 11T-36T rear is a pretty good spread of gears. I can climb everything I could on my old bike, which had a 26T granny ring. Drive train is SRAM XX (yeah I splashed out) and my favourite cranks (XTR). Elixir brakes still rock and work well and manage to stop me in all occasions, I required.

50mm Straitline stem is pretty much a given on a bike like this. Combine it with my new favourite handle bar, the Easton Haven Carbon (711mm wide) and the bike control is just magic. Flow rims with red Hope Hubs, wheels built by Bike Culture. Tires are always a personal choice, still loving the Maxxis Ardents.

Bike weight is around the 28lbs mark, give or take....I could go tubeless, but really just lazy....tubes are easy.....I could make the bike that little bit lighter if I wanted to, with little effort, but happy with the overall weight.

On the Trail

The first impression on the HD is its pedal-ability and just how well the bike accelerates; you really feel you should be making more effort to get to where ever you need, faster.  Get out of the saddle and just hammer!

Combine the short chain-stays with its great pedalling and it climbs like crazy, quickly and almost effortlessly. The 67 degree head-angle is spot on for a 160mm travel bike (thanks Mr. Lopes for this suggestion), keeps the bike stable at speed and the front wheels planted when climbing.

The HD still has the Mojo family feel, so for those of you, who are riding a Mojo or Mojo SL, will feel right at home......but the bike is just that bit better, tighter, stiffer more capable bike. This is an efficient, stable and confidence inspiring to bike to ride.

The RP23 is very sensitive to fine tuning, even changing 5psi pressure makes a difference in the way the bike rides.  It never feels mushy, but I would spend sometime experimenting with the air pressure (and I did).  It's worth the effort, once this is sorted, pretty much set and forget.

Some reviews have stated that the HD isn’t so good on small bump compliancy, not sure if I agree. It does have ride characteristics that are closer to a short travel bike than a longer travel bike, there is no mushy feel when pedalling....but, Nelson riding is all about small bump compliancy. I would never describe the HD as harsh or skipping over or not reacting to small bumps. You can defiantly tell what the terrain is beneath you, but it is never harsh. Maybe this is because I run the Van36’s and not air forks.

Be Like Lopes

The other noticeable thing about how the HD rides, is that it really likes to carve the corners.  Again, its short-ish chain-stays, slack geometry, relatively low bottom bracket and laterally stiff frame seems to give the HD almost dual slalom like cornering abilities and with the way the bike pedals, you can get on the power fast and really haul arse. I have noticed I am exiting corners quicker than expected.

Also the HD is very playful, changing direction is almost instinctive and you just feel like you want to ‘pop’ the bike over obstacles. I think the good finesse riders will be rewarded on the HD......or just think ‘Lopes like thoughts’ when you are riding and you’ll be sweet.

Obviously with 160mm of front and rear travel, you don’t need to be a finesse rider and you can just bash your way through the terrain......but with all the R&D work Ibis, Lopes, DW and Fox have done to create this bike...you might be missing some of the finer details.

So pretty much lovin’ my HD, there will be a hand full arriving before Xmas, so you better be nice and put one on your wish list.  I would suggest talking to your local Ibis dealer would be better than a note to Father Xmas.....but what ever works with you.

If you want more info on the Ibis Mojo HD, check out the Ibiscycles website, also has a bike builder and a few reviews from the normal publications.

Between Two Ferns - Annika Smail

One of the perks of the job is meeting some really great people.  It doesn't take long start thinking about these people as family than anything else. 
So inspired by Zach Galifianakis excellent his interviews called 'Between Two Ferns', I thought I would just whip some questions, borrow the 'Between two Ferns' title and interview the people that are part of the Hyperformance Hardware family.....so you (the 3 people that read my blog) could get to know them a little better too.

And with Annika Smail winning the Huka XL for 3rd year in a row, who better to start?

Introducing Annika Smail.  

1) Who are you?
Not sure yet, still trying to figure that one out.

2) Bikes, what have you got, what have you ridden, what would you like, what’s you fav? What do you love about your bike/s?
First fav bike was the Blur Classic, then there was the Nomad, then the Blur LT and now the Blur LT Carbon. Have also had a Bullit, Chameleon (my fav hard tail), Blur XC, Blur XC Carbon, Roadster and a Heckler ... looks like i have ridden just a few ;) They are all fantastic bikes but you just get spoilt after a while :)


I think my LT carbon is more than I can wish for :)

3) What sort of mountain biker do you class yourself as?
I love riding single track, riding for fun with friends and do the odd race.

4) Best race ever?
Best race or race result?


The Huka XL is pretty awesome - my brain is still a little fried from it though makes it hard to remember the other great ones I have done.  Fort Bill is certainly up there but they have changed the course so won't be as great anymore. Whaka100 is great too!


5) What motivates you?
Having a good day, the buzz you get from a good race, the good times you have at and around the races with friends and competitors.

6) Who motivates you, do you look up to, special person, people that help you out, etc, bla, bla?
Bike Culture help me out a lot: Rob tells me I am slow and Mike Metz says that I am getting fat ;)


Stylie you are great too :)

7) Any goals for the season?
Have as much fun as possible.

8) Coppermine Spot prize should be? (and have you voted?)
a) Butcher
b) Nickel
c) Heckler
d) Nothing, the race is great, let Mike keep the Nickel....he needs more bikes.

Flag the spot prize and fly me down instead :)


a to c are all great bikes - not sure about you needing more bikes, Mike, they need to be ridden as well.

9) The secret to winning?
a) Motivation DVD’s that you buy off late night TV
b) Read some books
c) Ride my bike lots
d) Other

To have an awesome bike that makes you want to ride it lots
(Which is the correct answer, 10 points.  M.S.)

10) How wide are you handle bars and are you planning to go wider?
You'll have to ask Rob ;)  I am pretty sure they are 680,  I might want to go to 780 ha ha ha - nah, mine are perfect.

11) Your favourite ride? (you can say Peaking Ridge)
Hatu Patu

13) Petrol head Friday?
a) V8
b) Ricer
c) Hybrid
d) WTF?
My commuter bike????

13) Shuttling?
a) Yes
b) Mum usually drives us to the top
c) I would rather ride up, thanks!
d) You’re crazy, I’m not riding down that.
If I ride a DH bike, then for sure, but doesn't happen often.  Only if I'm racing Stylie and then I beat him by 2 seconds :)

14) Why are you a better rider than Mike Stylianou?
Am I?
(Yes you are, you can beat me by 2 seconds in DH race and your lap times were always quicker than mine we we both raced the XC National Series M.S.)

Huka XL 2010 - YAY! i made it three in a row - by annika smail

what a day! i got up at 4.30 am to be in Taupo for the 7 am race start , not quite my preferred waking time but it had to be done. to be honest it was great to start early as at least for the first part of the race it was still cool, as it got rather hot later on and with more and more trees missing along the trails there are unfortunately less shady sections around too. luckily i was well hydrated thanks to Elete tablets that i took the days before the race and Elete drops while racing, so i only needed 2 litres of water for my 4 hours and 20 minutes of racing over the 82 + km course. Elete rocks!

previously we started through the same start gate as the roadies and therefore started just after the main race but this time we had our own start gate right next to the main one on the other side of the road. with this set-up they could start the round Taupo Cyclechallenge and the Huka XL both at the same time. the roadies had one side of the road and the mountain bikers the other, racing alongside each other separated by just the traffic island. it was an awesome feeling to be gunning it out at the same time, despite the fact that us mountain bikers on our fat tires had no show to keep up with the roadies.

the race starts off with this nice steep climb out of Taupo so you have to be ready for the pain right away as there is no time for a good warm up as everyone lines up as soon as they get to the start, so you either going to be hot on the start-line but have to start at the back or you are starting off with cold legs. most riders opt for the better starting position so did i. my plan was to try and get into a good position in the field right from the start. the course takes you into single trail very early on which makes it harder to pass other riders so you can easily find yourself in a place where you lose contact with your competition and that's not a good position to be in. i attacked from the start line trying to keep up a good pace for as long as my legs could cope with it, starting off cold makes this a lot harder. i couldn't see the other girls other then Karen Hanlen who snuck in front of me towards the top of the start climb. i rode behind her for a short while before i decided that i was better off getting to the front, i put in another effort and scored myself a more suitable spot in the field. i was sure Karen would try to stay on my wheel. i know that she is very strong and fit and doesn't mind pushing her body hard so i was sure she was not just going to let me go. another rider i knew was going to give it a good shot is Nic Leary, i didn't see her after the gun went off so was pretty sure she was behind me but you never know how close the other riders are as you cannot see them behind you. it's good to know that someone is chasing you as there is more reason to push ahead, especially on a course like this where you constantly have to work hard to keep momentum as the trails are so windy and tight and the surface is often loose. i was riding by myself for a while and then i caught up to some rider and rode with them for a bit before being alone again, it was nice to have some space and enjoy riding the trails while trying not to ease off.  i was wearing my brand new Louis Garneau womens bibs for the first time and i was so stoked i did as they are super comfortable and made my ride so much more enjoyable, it was not a bad thing to be thinking about while i was racing. 

i unfortunately made a stupid mistake and came off my bike, landing on the very same spots of my body that i had injured only just 2 weeks earlier (i do need to work on my riding skills!). this was about 55km into the race. luckily i didn't injure myself too badly and my sturdy and reliable bike got away without any damage i just had to turn the handle bars/front wheel back 90 degrees. so i kept pushing ahead trying not to let the other girls catch me, cursing myself for making silly mistakes and wasting time. 

my body was feeling pretty good all through the race, i kept getting rather sore legs but that's to expect when you are racing and is fine to deal with if your legs manage to recover a bit in between. it's also a sign that you are pushing hard and it's therefore good reassurance. 

it was good to have done the race before because i was ready for climbs that keep popping up and  i kept a bit of reserve for the last bit of testing single trail right in Taupo with its pinchy climbs that sucked the last juice out of my already screaming legs. it was not until i was almost at the finish line that i was fully confident i had the win in the bag. it was a great feeling to role over the finish line and to keep the title for the 3rd year in a row.

many thanks to everyone involved in making this great event happen, to everyone cheering me on and to the other competitors for making it a hard race :)

if you have not done this event and like mountain biking then make sure to do it next year,  you can also do it in a team. 

Photo by Nick Lambert

how stunning is this view!?! almost makes you want to ride around the lake on a road bike instead of doing the Huka! hm... no, still not quite ;)
i have been trying to convince Gaz (Gary Sullivan rider in black in the pic) to do the Huka at least for once instead of doing the road race year after year, but he's very stubborn and does not want to have more fun. maybe one day i will be able to talk some sense into him :)

Petrol Head Friday - Good News

1. Does your Boss know you have taken the day off to play GT5?


2. Good News, Fiat are back in the USA.....hooray (it's no secret I am a Fiat fan...did you know they have the lowest C02 emissions of any other European manufacturers....and they don't have a Hybrid or such like)

But in the US of A, they get the above advert (still awake?)
In Italia, they get the below advert....this is pretty close to NSFW, so maybe you should check who is watching over you shoulder before you press play.

3. Some more Good News, the new Jeep Grand Wagon beats Toyota 4 Runner (Hilux) in US Consumer report.....who would of thought that would ever happen?  I'm a bit of a Jeep fan too.

4. More good news, Luca di Montezemolo drives and likes (that's actual like, not facebook like) the new Stratos.
(Why have I not won lotto yet!)

Luca di Montezemolo testing the New Stratos from New Stratos on Vimeo.

5. Even more Good News, Audi are making the Audi Quattro again.

6. And the Best News of all the new Nissan Leaf (which is an all electric car) gets and EPA rating of 99mpg.  Which is pretty good for a car that can only travel 73 miles (about 117.5 km) before you need to recharge it.  I got an idea.....how about you ride your bike on those short trips and that way won't need a car for short trips only?

We'll end today's PHF with a video of Round One of the NZ Dirt Nationals...because this blog is still about bikes.  Enjoy your weekend, get out on your bike.

NZ Dirt Nationals 2010 Round One, PMP from Ryan McCrae on Vimeo.

Ground Effect Underground

Laurence Mote with his Heckler (1 x 9 setup) in the latest Underground.  Just thought you should know.

Butcher & Nickel Stuff (If you don't get if, you won't get it)

If you've waiting for the usual press to do some reviews on Santa Cruz's APP bike, well you don't have to wait too much longer.  The October issue of Mountain Bike Action has a review of the Butcher, which you should be able to find a copy or purchase a copy of the online version (I will tell you a secret, if you google 'Butcher review Mountain Bike Action', you might get to see a preview of online issue and see the Butcher review).
Basically they really, really like....and what do you know, they say you should set the bike up the same way Chris Burr has;  (well OK, they don't say go 1 x 10, but you just should, I am loving this set up on my Mojo HD, but that is another story).

Above is MBA's final word on it.....anyway, I know you guys like the Butcher because it's got 49% of the votes for the Coppermine spot prize.  Talking about the Coppermine, you guys are just about to enter....right?

The Nickel will be in the latest issue of Dirt Rag .  Dirt Rag have had a Nickel test bike since May and I am guessing it's the December issue, because I have spent the last hour going through the online Dirt Rag issues and I can't find the review.  Anyway, if Mike F says that it got an amazing review, I am not going to argue and I think I have already mention that I rode a Nickel when I was visiting the Santa Cruz factory and just loved it.  Still deciding on colour of spec of my personal Nickel, I was going to go for brown, but I hear Mike Metz is riding around on a brown Nickel (and loves it).

It also seems the Internet forums 'don't get' the Santa Cruz APP bikes (well who trusts the Internet, no one is reading this blog anyways), but I know here in NZ, we get...just like we 'we get' Santa Cruz bikes.

Buying a Santa Cruz may not make you a better rider.

Proof that its not just about the bike...

Petrol Head Friday - What were you thinking?

Bejebus, people are paying attention to Petrol Head Friday.  My rantings about the other subject I know a little bit about (a little knowledge is a dangerous thing?).

Anywho, great to know there are a bunch of you Petrol Heads out there and a have a passion for what you drive.

There is one thing I do wish is that great car manufactures, just continued to make cars and not listen to the marketing person that tells them they have to branch out.

Porsche only makes sports cars (well and SUV's and a 4 door sedan now), but their cars are fast, involving and are function over form.......but WTF were they thinking when they designed their bikes?  And Why?

Peugeot made bicycles before they made cars (back in 1889), the brand still exists and you can link on bicycles on their website (although, they thought a picture of guy from the 80's riding a Pro-Flex would inspire you check out their bike range).  The above picture is from the Paris Motor Show, looks good, but where would you ride it?

BMW make some great cars, especially if they come with a 'M' badge on them from the factory.  I am sure there a billion blogs arguing about which is the best BMW M car ever.  You bearded weirdies and anorak's can argue about that.  BUT why would they make a M series mountain bike.  You do have to wonder if they had just stumbled back from Oktoberfest and after their curry, thought 'Hey vee vill design an M series mountain bike with 80mm of spring deflection'.

I'm pretty much lost for words with the Jeep range.  For a brand that prides itself for having 'trail rated' vehicles, not sure if I would give their mountain bikes a 'footpath rated' title.  Hopefully with Fiat running the show they will drop the bike range.....or maybe not.....

There are some people who think that Ferrari shouldn't do any sort of merchandising, because it dilutes the brand....they should make great cars.  I suppose getting Colnago making a limited edition branded road bike isn't a bad thing.

But can some explain the Ferrari CX 70 to me?  Just whipping down the road on my Ferrari mountain-style bike.....don't I look cool?

Mercedes have been a little more on to it, it looks like they go and find a mountain bike manufacturer and put Mercedes stickers on it.  Not a bad idea, the above bike is an AMP B4

The above is the current Mercedes mountain bike looks like a Rotwild, yeah, I had never heard of them before.

Subaru jumped the band wagon in 2008 (hopefully not the shark) by making 99 steel hard-tails for $US3880.00.

Right, I feeling a little ill, need to go look at my bikes and marvel is how bloody good they are.  Maybe the people making mountain bikes know what they doing eh?

Have a good weekend, enjoy your bike, enjoy your car.....and be amazed at how bloody good they are. 
Righto, I'm off to have a beer in Ibis beer glass while wearing my Straitline t-shirt, Santa Cruz socks and Black Cat bikes Hoody.

Wednesday Night Ride?

Here's some video's to distract you from your work and get you ready for your Wednesday night ride.


Seasonaires - Ep3 - Emily Johnston from Tom Grundy on Vimeo.

You don't have to have a lime green Driver 8....but it helps.

Dank Trails: Jamie Goldman - More Mountain Bike Videos

Steve Peat interview for PlayBoy Mag. from Tommy Mendhoza on Vimeo.

And how could we not have Danny Macaskill?


And because I think this is the funniest thing ever and YES, I may have posted on my blog before.....but still people haven't seen it.

Petrol Head Friday - Saving us from Mediocrity

For most of you reading this Blog, it's all about the bike (yeah, Lance is wrong).  This means that our mountain bike is the number one priority and everything pretty is low on the list.
But really, do you really need your bike transportation vehicle to be a 2011 Mediocrity with medium crumb coloured exterior?  Really?



Yeah, I know....fuel economy, reliability, safe, etc., bla, bla are very important in your car purchasing decisions, but you can get something interesting to drive, for not too much money and you never know, you might actually like driving it.  Most of time more interesting cars hold their resale value, because there is always some anorak that will want to buy it off you.

Here are some options, available off trademe right now.
Buick Hearse;

For less than $10K, you can be driving to your next race in a Hearse, it's got a V8, been maintained and lots of room in the back.  Chances are it hasn't been thrashed either.
Probably suit you single speed folk with tattoo's, it has a hint of non-conformist about it, don't you think?
Sure it might be a bit thirsty, but that just means you won't be using to do those small trips that you should be using your bike for anyway.  So imagine it with a chameleon or tranny on the roof.

What about a fully restored '84 Toyota Land Cruiser, diesel too (economy plus)

This would suit you DH folk, new tires means you can spend your time shuttling up the gnarliest terrain.  And look how big the thing is, so much space for your mates too. For less than $10K, you'd be crazy to miss out on this bargain.  Also I think you could do a faux-Syndicate Paint job on this to match your new V10 carbon.

Check out this gem, a Holden HQ Premier wagon, $7K ONO.

Yeah, it's a bit rough on the inside, but you're just going to be throwing your bike in there anyway.
It's got a diesel engine in it, so you can look like you've got a classic Holden, but you get some economy too.
Probably suit you guys (and gals) that are a little rougher around the edge's, probably riding an old VP-Free, a Jackal or a Driver 8.

Now this is a bit of Russian/Kiwi history (supposedly NZ would trade butter for Lada's, sounds like a good deal).  This low owner and low mileage Lada is just over $200.

This would suit you obsessive weight weenie and XC racing folk.  Firstly it's cheap as, so you can spend all the rest of your money on light weight parts.  It doesn't actually go, so you would need to ride everywhere anyway (good for training).  When it does go, chances are it will break down, so again, you will need to ride everywhere.  And of course the golden rule of owning an expensive XC race bike, your car has to be cheaper.  Suit you Blur XC Carbon or Mojo SL owners out there.
This for all you folk who would rather be a Euro racer in a more elegant time.
I present the Citroen Safari DS

Yeah, it's $28K, but just look at it....you know you want it.  Would suit you Stigmata, Hukkalugi or Silk SL owners.  Live the dream of being a highly paid professional road or CX racer....without leaving NZ.

And for all you wagon wheelers, I present the Audi Allroad Wagon.  $26.5K, cheaper than a new Kia.

This one has 29inch alloys on it (or is that 19's?), anyway, it rolls faster than the standard Allroad.
Leather interior, polished alloy bits, woofers and tweeters.  Would look great with that XXL Tallboy on the roof too.

You high performance folk, would be looking at something a little quicker, but still being a little more discreet.  If I had $34K just lying around, I would probably consider the Legacy STi.

Would suit you Nomad Carbon or Mojo HD riders.....you LT Carbon and HD 140 owners would probably like it too.

So you want something more muscle and still be fast and roomy...you'll need to have $50K burning a hole in your pocket.  The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, ignore what the dog & lemon guy says and just go and buy this thing.

This for you folk who are a little more obvious, you'll want your lime green Nomad, Bullit, Butcher or Heckler well displayed on your Q-Spear on the back.  I am sure all Jeeps have built in beer chillers too.
Go on, don't think about, just ring the dealer now and buy it.  Who's going to argue with you when you driving a V8 Jeep?

OK, so you don't need a BIG wagon.  You're looking for something with a little more finesse, like your riding.  I hear what you're saying.....you can take your wheels off you bike and throw it in back and you hate giving your friends a lift, fair call.  The last of the real Alfa V6's, the 147 GTA.

Anyway, the GTA has the best engine, this side of Ferrari.  250hp (only $100 per horse power), going through the front wheels, mean-arsed torque steer is cool, especially on wet slippery roads.  Not the best handling car Alfa have made, but pretty close to good enough.  Would suit you folk riding a Blur LT2, Nickel or Mojo SL...which probably have red hubs. 

OK, I think that's a wrap for Petrol Head Friday.....did I miss anyone?

Day-Light Savings...So Go and Ride your Bike!

Day-light savings is now in full swing and if you are anything like me......you're trying to spend every free moment you have riding your bike.
Anywho, to get you motivated, here are some luuuverly pictures of some people that ride bikes a lot better than me.

Picture thanks to Jono Church

Tim Wilding, SSWC2010, letting his alter-ego, T-Rex, out for the day.  You can read about his account of the SSWC's here;   The fastest man in a 'real' outfit according to Spoke Magazine

Damian Stones getting some air at the new dirt jumps at the firepit, looking smooth Mr. Stones.

Nathan Faavae riding his Tallboy at the Adventure racing world champs in Spain....below is some quick thoughts about the Tallboy;

After doing 2-adventure races in China in September and having my Santa Cruz voted by the riders in the bike servicing area as the “Bike everyone wants”, I ventured to Spain for World Champs pleased with my wheels.
The 2010 Adventure Racing World Champs was expected to take the winning team about 90-100 hours. There was a 4-hour mandatory stop at the mid way point of the race but otherwise teams could race as much as they wanted … or could.
There were 22-stages involving hiking, inline skating, kayaking, orienteering and of course mountain biking. There were 8-MTB stages totalling 438km. The total racecourse was 750km.
I was racing with a NZ/US team with Chris Forne (CHCH) and Mike Kloser and Monique Merrell from Colorado. Mountain Bikers who know there history will know Mike won the first MTB World Championships, over 20-years ago.
The race was held near Madrid and had a full field of 50-teams, from most major nations.
We got 2nd in the race, finishing an hour after the winners Team Buff from Spain. We didn’t race superbly making a few mistakes and our team had some health issues, mine being the worst!
That said, we enjoyed some great adventure, hiking was great and the mountain biking was all good, lots of farms tracks, fire roads and single track, mainly on dry and dusty trails. Scenery was amazing too, castles, snakes and the usual adventure racing sunrises and sunsets.

The Tall Boy did a grand job, carrying me through the countryside. Every time I got onto the bike it was pleasurable even amongst the suffering and discomfort only an adventure race can deliver.


Santa Cruz Tall Boy, 29er, Full Suspension, Lightweight … what else is there?

Leighton Kirk winning the under 19 South Island DH champs in Dunners, nice work Mr. Kirk
 


And we'll end with a video from Seb Kemp riding a new V10 Carbon in Whistler, nice.

So you guys still working or decided to take the afternoon off and ride your bikes?

Petrol Head Friday - Kazunori Yamauchi

Never heard of Kazunori Yamauchi?  Well he's the guy that created Gran Turismo for the Sony Playstation back in 1997 and rumour is that you'll be playing Gran Turismo 5 for Xmas.

Anyway Yamauchi is probably done more for petrol heads than anyone else in the last 10 years.  He is well respected in the automotive industry and is probably the reason the guy behind the wheel of his people mover can  tell you why the Nissan GTR32 is so great, what a Fiat Coupe looks like (and why you need it in GT2), why the Impreza 22B is so special, what a RUF Yellowbird is etc.

So respect Mr. Yamauchi for your services to Petrol Heads everywhere.

And since this is a blog about bikes, the 104 Bronson Blog has been updated too, which pays some homage to Petrol Head Friday too.  Check out what's on the new Ford Explorers roof.  Nice.

Santa Cruz Set Up Guides

So you've got yourself a new Santa Cruz and you didn't get a set up guide and you've been guessing how you should set up your rear shock......you can stop guessing now.
Download your own (los-res version, but good enough to read the fine print).

It contains all models, so you can also 'help' your friends with their bike set up and give them great hind-sight advise if they crash.....hmmm, maybe your rebound was too fast and you should probably take 5psi out of your rear shock.  People love hearing stuff like that when they've just hit the deck.

And since I am now in love with dropbox (OK I get it now, you early adaptors that told me I should be using it), I will put it in my public dropbox folder in here;

And if you're sitting at your computer waiting for beer o'clock, you can waste 5 minutes watching a lego starwars clip here;

Oh yeah, 109 votes (and counting) for the Coppermine give-away bike....hope you guys have entered too.
Butcher still out in front, but it's still early days.

Blog Borrowing - 104 Bronson Updated, this is what you are missing out on

OK, if you don't regularly check 104 Bronson, you're missing out on Mr. Ferrentino's great writing and wit....and maybe even some important information and some cool stuff like this little APP video, made for the UK Santa Cruz people.....just try to get that tune out of your head now too.

MPORA Action Sports >>

Mark Weir in hospital


And of course 'Pump Track Wedding'


And if you're loving the 104 Bronson Blog, maybe you should check out; http://www.howtoavoidthebummerlife.com/

LOTFH - Lighting up the tires