RowanH

Went Sunday after a big downpour overnight after having moved to Nelson (Yeahar!). Haven't pinch flatted in 10 years..... In 4 full runs ended up cracking a rim right on the last run, hematoma from bending a saddle, bloody shins from the flats. Someone else cracked a rim as well. Came back with my legs ruined and now the sandfly bites coming up. The stories of broken and bodies and bikes hold true :) That place is bl--dy unbelievable - each trail is unique and consistent in style and something for everyone how's got some riding under their belt. From just pick your way tech through to steep tech, through to out n out racetrack :) So well built, just incredible. A treasure for NZ mountain biking. Props to everyone who helps keep that place running. Will I be going back? HECK YEAH BOI ! A hard, hard day but will be one of your best ever for sure.

Woodhill #2, nice!

@makripper: Well I've had some back to backs with my Enduro rig and my Rail ebike with a heart rate monitor. I've got a 14.5km loop out from my house, half road/half gravel trail/few single track with some granny gear climbs. Enduro rig: 1hr 5min on average, strava 'effort' score ~108 Ebike: 45min on average, effort score ~53 [in eMTB mode, would be higher in Tour mode] Basically 30% quicker for half the energy output. What that translates too for me - as time is precious, I can get to a forest and put in a shedload of vert in a short space of time 'self shuttling'. So I can spend more laps on the downhills, more time working on my skills. I basically go till I'm shattered, then come home. On my normal bike I get in the truck drained but 'leg & lung' drained, not drained from working the downhills. After some time off bikes last year it's meant my skill progression has been faster getting back into it, you're not really working your skills slogging out an awful lung busting climb. I like a lot for 40 somethings don't have a lot of free time, work too much, and want to make every bit when I do get to the forest count.

There were quite a few

Cheers Megan, volley crew, and photographers ! Thanks for delivering awesome trails, looking after us and putting on an amazing event.

New Zealander jumping in .... they have exploded in popularity here. Quote from mate in Nelson "I reckon about a 1/3 of the good guys have them now". Rotorua they're everywhere. It's the only reason I went "huh, I wonder what these are about" tried one, wtaf...... I was on the hate train until 2 months ago. Eaten every single word (mtber for a good 3 decades). I think in dense mountain biking populations you have more exposure to different bikes. If you start seeing "good" riders riding e-bikes you start taking notice. When you start taking notice you might start accepting them more. When you do that and have stores which have them, then you're more likely to quietely (shamefully...) try one. Then you're screwed and you have to eat your words. In less dense biking populations you're less likely to end up in a bike shop wondering what you've just done :)

"They Can't" just expanding on that .. our borders are shut to only NZ Citizens* and even then there's only limited flights, limited spots in managed isolation (everyone without fail must spend 2 weeks in special hotels quarantining before being released into community). We're effectively closed for visiting until the world returns to normal. Can't see any travel for 2021. * -- There's some limited exceptions to this but regular Joe can't go and get a tourist visa and come. Quite a lot of legwork.

In New Zealand I think the medically accepted stand down is 3 weeks which a lot of sports (I believe) have adopted. The last time I got concussed my pyshio was very clear about not getting on the bike for 3 weeks. I seem to recall Tracy Hannah being stood down from racing in NZ after a clear concussion at an event a year or two back...