"Sunny Nelson"

Since The Single Speed Nationals, I had a bit more time off training (although finding myself out riding more and more, having fun on the bike). I made it over to the Moon ride 12hr teams race in Rotorua but was full of a head cold that was trying all it could to get into my lungs, so I decided not to race and just go for an easy ride in the forest instead.

 My geared race bike is all back together and with a couple small changes to my set up it now feels like I want to race every time I get on it. I am currently spending a week in "Sunny Nelson" riding some of the many tracks I have been told so much about of the years. It strange to think Ive been to Nelson almost every year since 1998 and this is the first time I am riding all most of these tracks as I dont have a race to prep for. It has been raining down here in "Sunny Nelson" for a couple weeks now (so Im told) and the tracks are rather muddy and slippery! One of the first tracks we went to go up and ride down has the access road blocked off for logging so we decided to ride up what is normally a decent that had a couple stream/river crossings, water running down the track towards us and the track got steeper and steeper towards the top. After a bit of hiker bike we reached the top and decided to go down another track that linked onto the track we just came up near the bottem. This was a good tester for the skills, with some steep hear pin corners a small rock garden that was more like a river and lots of slippery rocks and roots. I am glad I am riding my trusty old GEAX SAUGARO tyres and my BRAKE AUTHORITY brake pads which are allowing me to pull nose wheelies around some of the tighter hair pin corners!. So four rides now and all have been wet, and good for the skills as we dont have much to challenge skills in Rotorua where I normally ride. Only a couple more days before I head home and most likely have to strip and rebuild my bike again (oh well gotta take the good with the bad) at least its been warm, we have been riding most of the time with shorts shirt and maybe a vest (now thats what I call winter riding!!!)

New Zealand Single Speed Champion

On friday at 11.41am I decided I might as well go through and do the national single speed champs in Napier this weekend. After a month off the bike I figured it would be a good hit out before I start training again. 3 hours later I arrived at the track to check it out, but there was a river to cross at the start, so I went to my accommodation and had a feed.
Woke up to a stunning day in the Hawkes Bay. I got to the track nice and early with good intentions of riding the track before the race, but once again the thought of wet feet put me off. Turns out we had to put our bikes on the other side of the river before the start anyway, so wet feet it was.
Bob-Brenda had ridden around the back to avoid the wet foot scenario and to stash some bottles on the big climb. So I ended up having to carry her back across the river.
Everyone was strutting around at briefing in funky outfits and the easter bunny was handing out chocolate, when all of a sudden they started the race-catching people unaware.

Me and Garth post race

The race was four laps and before we got to our bikes we had to hunt out an easter egg and eat it, some of our bikes had been hidden, it was a mad rush, an 8km lap with one short cut per lap. Lap one was a "raw egg" for the shortcut penalty, which turned out to be a marsh mellow easter egg. The following 3 laps you could choose between, egg, beer or wine. The egg actually proved to be the worst, and a wine the best, as I found out after trailing each.
It took me almost a whole lap to catch Garth-the world ss champ, who had a blinding start. Once I caught him I got a good gap, however on the last lap, the month off the bike caught up with me and I imploded. Quite badly and hugely. I was knackered. So I had to change my plan, from beer sculling to wine sipping, turns out a shot of red is faster than a can of beer, and was the telling factor in me taking the title as Garth was wheeling me in.
Again, another awesome, well run event on some of Napiers best trails. Thumbs up to 'Bob' Brenda Clapp who is now the womens national ss champ

After race recovery position

Playing Around with a Fixie

Geax Aka 2.2 Review

Geax Aka 2.2 tyres, my new favorites for 2011. Previously I was a Mezcals man, with Saguaro's coming in a close second. But Geax released a superior tyre, the Aka, and the Aka in 2.2 has been permanently attached to my rims all season. You can run these bad boys at super low pressures eg. 15 psi and the rubber sticks to the ground like shit to a blanket.
I rode them at the 2011 Oceania Champs in Shepparton, Australia and they proved to not only be suitable on NZ trails but railed me to 3rd place on marblely, rocky, high speed terrain.
I can't wait to see what new tyres Geax develop in the coming years.

Oceania Champs Race Report

After an up and down season I have finished on the up! As the form had been so hit and miss all season I almost didnt go to the Oceania champs just out of Shepparton 2hrs drive from Melbourne. I arrived on Tuesday as Friday was race day, got a couple laps on the track and then spun (35km) from the track back to Shepparton on the flat boring road. The track had a climb that suited me and a couple sections of tec rocks with a big rock drop (that photos just dont do justice!) the other cool "NOT" part of the track was the grass climb/decent they mowed the day I arrived.

Race day was hot and sunny and with no shade on the track I knew how important it would be to keep cool and hydrated. Off the line I lost a bit of ground but put the hammer down and went around the out side on the first corner slotting in about 6th, I started trying to make my move up every chance I could but the Aussies dont give an inch so you have to fight for it. By mid race I was in 4th place with 5th on my tail and we could see the other three in places but they had a big gap on us, I was using a set of GEAX AKA 2.2 tyres and running them at 15psi which gave me all the grip I needed and meant I could ride through the rocky sections with ease. As we got to a rocky part of the climb (near the high point of the track) I opened up a gap and decided to try and make it stick as we only had a lap and a half to go. Shortly after that I was told Dan and Sid were just ahead of me, I spotted them on a couple parts soon after and started hunting them down. Starting the last lap they had about 20sec on me but that didnt take long to close down, Just before I caught them Sid attacked and got away from Dan. I had to jump past Dan just before the rocky section I had opened the gap on 5th the lap before and did the same to Dan, The rest of the lap I spent chasing Sid while keeping an eye over my shoulder on Dan. The last grass climb/decent I was sprinting chasing Sid while trying to hold off cramp and Dan to produce the 3rd fastest lap of the day and the only sub17min last lap to finish 3rd.

This was by far my best race of the year so far and my best Oceania champs race to date. Now I am having some much needed time off and looking to plan my next goals.

2011 Oceania Champs Results

The Elite and Under 23 Men were on course at 12pm. From the gun Australia’s Chris Jondewaard wound on the power to take a start to finish win over compatriot Sid Taberlay. But Tokoroa’s Mike Northcott produced his best form of the year to storm home to a third place finish, in the process producing improving lap times over the six lap feature. National Champion Carl Jones didn’t have the legs today, fading to 10th and clearly tired and dissappointed.

2011 Oceania Championships - Results
(Round 4 2010/11 Jayco Australian MTB Series, Shepparton)

1. Chris Jongewaard SA 1:43:35.2
2. Sid Taberlay TAS 1:44:17.0
3. Michael Northcot NZ 1:44:26.0
4. Daniel McConnell VIC 1:44:34.0
5. Aiden Lefmann QLD 1:45:55.5
6. Joshua Carlson NSW 1:48:52.6
7. Adrian Jackson VIC 1:49:24.2
8. Andrew Blair NSW 1:49:32.4
9. Neil Van Der Ploeg VIC 1:50:27.9
10. Carl Jones NZ 1:50:41.8

NZ National series champion 2011

Well the race didnt go so well but all I had to do was start the final to win the series (oh and show the officals how to add but I will get to that soon).

Yep it had been a busy week and a half for me. Fly to Nelson, Race and fly up to Hamilton 2hrs after the race, Spend the week at block corse (for my plumbing apprentiship) with three exams on Friday, drive to Auckland Sat morning and fly down to Christchurch landing at 10am and racing at that arvo at 2pm. I had a good start and knew I had to be at the front at the top of the hill to set the pace on the down hill (as the first time I had seen the track was during my warm up when I rode a lap) So with this in mind I decided the best way to learn the track was at the front. This worked for the first couple laps sitting 1st or 2nd and not panicking if others/locals caught up again. After a few laps I felt my legs just go flat and I knew I was going to have to call on some old school bluffing to get me through to the end. Soon after my legs went flat the young 16year old " pocket rocket" (Anton Copper) attacked and I couldnt call on any bluffing to help with that, I started to drop backwards quickly on that lap and decided to pull the pin at the end of the lap and try to save my legs for next weekends National Champs.

Although I didnt finish the race I had enough points to win the series, although the officals miss counted the points giving it to Carl Jones at first. As we steeped down off the podium I talked it over with them and we had it sorted, although by the time we had most of the people had left prize giving. Oh well at least it was sorted