Cruise Control

Well, it's been a long time between drinks for the website blog!

A few reasons for this: our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/KaiteriteriMTBPark) is doing a great job of getting trail news out as it's happening, a wet winter frustrated our building programme and... I absconded to Europe for another long cycle tour :-)

Still, things never stand still and, in my absence, the rest of the committee pulled off a very successful Family Adventure Race as part of the Nelson CycleFest (pics on fb), completed a new exit to Remedy, that now aligns with Shady Lady, and undertook various maintenance tasks around the Park to keep the tracks open and humming.

Alongside this, once things dried out a bit, Karl got back on our digger to groom up this year's big  project, the 1.8km Cruise Control!

With the amount of traffic it had already had, plus the speed with which the clay turned from mud to rock once it finally stopped raining, Karl wasn't quite able to bring up as smooth a surface as we generally aim for.
But that will happen soon enough... a couple of days of rain and that ride line will be sweet.

This new track offers an alternative - and easier - way to get to the Kimi Ora hub. It bypasses Sidewinder & Swamp Monster, both of which will be upgraded to Intermediate. If you're a beginner or have little ones in tow, this is the way to go.

We also welcome Golden Bay Fruit on board as Cruise Control's sponsor and their logo will soon be affixed to the marker posts. Track sponsorship is a significant source of income for us in developing the Park. It helps us buy and maintain our track-building tools and machinery, purchase materials & fuel, print maps and covers a host of other expenses. If your business might be interested in sponsoring a track at the Park for 2 years, send us an email at info@kaiteriterimtbpark.org.nz

The other way people show their support is via donations. The metal donation box at the entrance is always well-used, especially over Summer when many visitors like to show their appreciation for the efforts of local volunteers.

But not everyone goes pedalling with their wallet so we've added a QR graphic for those with smart phones who are also smart enough to have downloaded a (free) QR reader app.

Simply scan the image and it will take you straight to our PayPal account. Tap in the amount of your donation and 'presto' - your karma balance is immediately topped up!

There are others who use the PayPal link on the sidebar to convey their monetary thanks. Significant donations are individually acknowledged under the Supporters tab on our Homepage.

Finally, for now, an example of what our Park might be able to offer some time in the future out of these donated funds.

I came across this on an Austrian cycleway. As well as all the tools you'd need for basic maintenance, a workstand and foot pump, it also had an inner tube dispensing machine for 12 different tyre sizes!

Plus!!! It was located next to a bar where you could ask the fraulein to bring you a stein while you worked (or didn't :-) .


Coming up: what generated our biggest working bee turnout all year...?

The story so far...

Four years ago, the bush-clad slopes behind Kaiteriteri beach were largely unused.

A few local walkers, runners and mountain bikers accessed the firebreaks but even some of these were being rapidly overgrown by gorse. The only visitors who ventured off the firebreaks were those engaged in less legal activities, at least until the police starting using aerial thermal imaging...

In the summer of 2008, a Concept Plan was commissioned of the Kennett Bros. by the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Board (KRRB). While it identified potential for a mountain bike park, it also acknowledged the challenge the steep terrain presented. It was possible, they said, but it wouldn't be easy.

Their report was presented to, and approved by, the KRRB in September 2008. A purposefully-designed MTB Park was still a fairly radical concept for the Board at the time, whose focus was largely centred around its twin roles as a beach holiday destination and a jumping-off point for the Abel Tasman NP. A few holidaymakers would arrive in the camp from Christchurch every summer with bikes on the back but their choices of places to ride was pretty limited.

So it was no small leap of faith by the KRRB to embrace the vision of a family-centred mountain bike park and throw their support behind it.

The original proposal outlined a 3 year, 3 stage development programme that would see the creation of a pump track and two track circuits (easy & intermediate) that traversed the lower slopes of the Park. These tracks were all in place by the end of 2011.
But it seems we had awakened a sleeping tiger.  Like cars on motorways, it seemed the more tracks we built, the more people arrived to ride them. It quickly became apparent we needed to expand the trail network.
This mushrooming interest in mountain biking had not gone unnoticed by the KRRB. Now there was barely a car in the beach carpark without bikes on the back. Increasingly popular with mums and/or dads with their kids, many regularly travelling from Nelson, the Park fulfilled the Board's mandate of investing in family-oriented activities.

In early 2012, they asked the management team, Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park Inc. (KMBP), to provide another 3 Year Plan. This Plan outlined how the KMBP envisioned track development, along with other Park enhancements, through to 2015.
A pdf copy of the report is available by emailing   info@kaiteriterimtbpark.org.nz

Building tracks at Kaiteriteri is expensive. Steep slopes mean slow progress, and tracks (e.g. Corkscrew) that demand multiple switchbacks slow it even more. In budgeting for the proposed programme, the KMBP recommended that the purchase of a mini-excavator could provide savings over hire options. The further the network extended from easy-access points also increased the case for a 'digger' that could remain on-site when bad weather forced stoppages.

Just as they did in 2008, the Board again recognised the value of investing in the Park. Not only did they approve the 3 Yr Plan with its $60,000 track building estimate, they also agreed to fund the purchase of a 2nd-hand excavator.

All of us involved in developing Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park know how fortunate we are to have the KRRB as project backers. The vision they shared with a few enthusiastic mountain bikers back in 2008 is now a reality - and we haven't stopped yet!

To help acknowledge their role, we've recently added them as Foundation Sponsors to our website.
Clicking the link in the sidebar will take you to a profile of their involvement. They're a modest bunch so I've yet to score a group photo.
In the meantime, we're using their logo which, in turn, takes you to the website that outlines all of the Kaiteriteri-based activities they're engaged in.

Our other Foundation Sponsor is Andrew Spittal, via his Family Trust. Andrew came on-board right at the early stages and remains a huge asset to the Park. You can read more of Andrew's contribution by using the sidebar link but I'm afraid clicking on his photo just gets you a larger version of it ;-)

Project Manager Guy Trainor receives the keys from Todd Blackwood (R)

As soon as Andrew heard that we were on the look-out for a 2nd-hand 1.5t excavator in good condition, he started asking around his mtb riding buddies, many of whom are in the construction industry.

One of these is Todd Blackwood, Sales rep. for Cable Price in Richmond.
A keen mtber and 'trail pixie' himself, Todd knew of a trade-in that would tick our boxes (zero-tail swing, retractable tracks, safety features) and arranged to have it transported up from Invercargill.

Once in the workshop, his team gave it a good going over to make sure it was thoroughly up-to-scratch before handing over the keys. They even fitted it up with a tilt-swing bucket the Board had agreed to additionally purchase.

Needless to say, we're totally wrapped with our latest acquisition!
It was immediately put into service benching our current project, Cruise Control (you can see it in action last week on our facebook page).
You'll be able to admire its work (at the hands of operator Karl Thompson) once we've completed the grooming of the track in a fortnight's time - weather-permitting!

We see it as the start of a long and productive relationship...

Those that Do...

Over recent weeks I've been on the verge of a rant about 'track consumerism' - the attitude where riders expect to be able to use tracks without any sense of giving back. I suspect this is a growing trend, fed by the emergence of so many new mtb parks & trail centres on public land, and certainly not restricted to Kaiteriteri.
We build tracks, encourage people to come and use them, and then moan when we're faced with the burden of track maintenance. You could say, "It's your own fault!"

But focussing on those that don't is a depressing train of thought - far better to focus on those that DO.

We have quite a small pool of mountain bikers to draw from in Tasman, especially within a half-hour commute to Kaiteriteri. What's been amazing is that, since our first gatherings in late 2008, we've kept a core group of people who remain absolutely committed to the venture.

These individuals largely constitute our current committee. You can see who they are via the About Us link on the menu bar but, if you wanted to meet them, our Sunday morning working bees are the best place.

They each have donated hundreds of hours to the Park, be it in track-building, track maintenance or in numerous other committee tasks & functions. It takes a lot to develop and run a MTB Park and without these guys, it would grind to a halt.

But as generous with their personal time as the committee is, even they would burn-out without the contributions from our wider pool of volunteers. So far this year, 30 people have turned up for one of our w/bees. Of these, four have attended 10+ and another seven 4+. But even those who have only managed 2-3 are doing their bit - giving back - and that helps keep the rest of us going.

We're in the process of reviewing our working bee format and hope to have some fresh ideas come out of it. If you have some suggestions, we'd love to hear them. But I suspect the bottom line will remain the same, the future of the Park will depend on how much support it gets from the local mountain biking community.

Website & Facebook
David Konecny is our Go to man for any website upgrades. David set up the original blogspot and has periodically tweaked it into how we want to use it. Recently we thought it was time for a refresh and we hope you agree it's looking better.

You'll see there are now social media buttons at the bottom of each post for you to share via email, twitter or facebook. We've also included a link to our new facebook page in the sidebar. This has been up & running for a couple of weeks now and being well liked! It will be the place to go to for the current news & photos and we hope you'll use it to give us feedback. David's also increased the size of video playback on our park tv, always a good place to visit if you're wanting an idea of what the Park offers.

Easy Rider
The Tasman District Council largely funded the construction of this easy-grade track to provide an off-route to Kaiteriteri, bypassing the steep and narrow, winding, coastal road.
It has now been selected to form the final stage in the regional cycleway network, the Tasman Great Taste Trail.

This necessitates a significant, but achievable, upgrade. The result will be a smooth, flowing trail suitable for all ages and offering some of the best views of Tapu Bay in the Park.

Cruise Control
Work on our latest, family-friendly, track came to a halt mid-July when Karl's digger broke a coupling (see previous post). Today our "new" digger arrived in Kaiteriteri and we'll be back into action tomorrow!
You'll hear more about our digger in our next blog but, meanwhile, you'll be able to follow our progress on facebook...

Park Progress

There's been quite a lot happening in the Park lately - some obvious, some not so much.

We finally patched up one bit of track that had been in the 'hard basket' for over a year. In the end, it was a few 'hard baskets' that proved to be the solution!

Some time back, a stream alongside a section of Revelation started to scour out the bank just before the bridge crossing. The spiralling action of the stream during heavy downpours was undercutting the 1.5m high bank and we were in danger of losing the entire trackwidth.

Grib Buchanan brought some road building nous to the situation and suggested some gabion baskets. He & Bill Hollick duly installed them and organised the river-stone fill.
And that's where our little Muck Truck, here being operated by Greg Buckett, once again proved invaluable...

Once two tiers of baskets were filled, it was time for Karl Thompson and his digger 'Scoop' to backfill and cover them. We evened out the slope approaching the bridge and, in the process restored the track to it's original width.

So, now, not only is this section of track armoured against further erosion, it's also a lot safer.

Of course, now it's done, it's just one more bit of track you swoop over without a second's thought.
Unless, that is, you're the rider whose tyre tracks on the soft outside edge the following day suggest you got a closer look than intended!

From there, we took Scoop up to begin work benching our latest easy-grade track, Cruise Control.

This is the bypass to Sidewinder and Swamp Monster posted about earlier.

Some typically steep terrain meant slowish progress until we emerged from The Gulch (you'll see what I mean when you ride it). A short traverse above Easy Rider brought us to a point where we switched back and slightly angled up to cross Connector.

We made some progress on the other side of Connector before a snapped bucket hitch meant Scoop had carved his last bucket of soil out of the flanks of Kaiteriteri's hillsides. Expertly operated by Karl, he's benched a lot of track at the MTB Park and has fully earned his (semi) retirement turning over the garden soil at his home in Golden Bay.

It's not all doom & gloom, however, as we're eagerly awaiting the arrival of our "new" 1.5t mini-excavator in the next week or two.

Meanwhile, the section of Cruise Control that's been benched remains in a 'rough but rideable' state (although I'd avoid it in the wet for your bike's sake). For now, the recommended route, suited for intermediate riders, would be down Bay View onto Connector and then right onto the new track, which will take you back to the Sidewinder/Half-Pipe hub.
We expect to complete the benching & grooming of Cruise Control by the end of August.

Three recent working bees have been busy on the top section of Velocity. An upgraded 'granny' line and an alternative line to the mega-rut should make it a little less daunting to advanced-grade riders.
It's still steep, and ensuring enough traction to keep the speed down is always going to make it interesting, but it's alot more fun than skidding your way down a chute for several metres. And once you pass 'Big Pine', it's as eye-watering as ever!

Coming up : a predator control programme for the Park, our next hand-bench project, an upgrade for Easy Rider and... we join Facebook!

Mid-Winter Breakout pix'n'vid

The sun never quite managed to 'breakout' on Sunday but, when the forecast rain arrived just as the spot prize-giving concluded, we all felt as though we'd dodged a bullet!
The region has subsequently had a good lashing but what do we care... having collectively clocked up 12,000 kilometres over 6 hours, some of us have earned a little time off the saddle...

Here are some pics from the day, snapped by swampthing & Oliver Weber. Ask us real nice-like and copies can be arranged. If anybody else has some good pics to share, send them in.






Rex Smith studies the course map tries to figure out how to put the armband on...





while Mike Kirkwood flies past on his hand-built carbon frame.
  

















I'm not sure if either of these is real hair and I wasn't about to attempt a scalping to find out.

 

The young guns made up the bulk of the pointy end but it was seasoned veteran, Dean Fulton, who pulled out the fasted lap of the day, a full 1sec. ahead of Tom Filmer.

After the congestion of the first lap on the road section, the field quickly spread out.

The width of the MTB Park tracks & firebreaks meant passing was never an issue, especially with the great attitude that riders came with.

The mtb unicyclists - munis - had their own circuit: a little bit shorter but, using Swamp Monster and Sidewinder, a helluva lot harder!

Mike Padial (in front) racked up 11 laps in 5hrs38mins.

But it was the old master, Julian Daley, who piped him with 12 laps, cycling non-stop for 5hrs50mins.!










It was great to have a good choice of food available on the day, as well. Hot soup, mmmmmm...

And the odd banana never goes astray.

Insider tip for anyone feeling the chills next year:

That gorilla suit is the toastiest place to be!





 



The under-over bridge was back. After the bottleneck of the first lap, it always added an extra element of fun - especially when it signalled your lap was nearly  finished :P

So, all-in-all, a pretty good day that the Nelson MTB Club and the Park management team can feel well-pleased with.

Numbers nearly doubled from last year. At this rate, we may have to start looking at a cap in the near future.
Best start thinking about your team now.



And to wrap it up, here's a short video focusing on a little of the action...

Sharing the love...

The entries are pouring in for the 6 Hour and we're expecting a big turn out.

Fortunately our decision to move the Tent City anticipated this so we'll be able to accommodate everyone on the day.

With access to the Bethany Park ablution block, those coming from Nelson, Marlborough and Golden Bay will be able to set up their tent the night before - and join in on the Saturday Social Night Ride!
Just make sure you let Craig know (021 728 793) if you want to join us at the Shoreline Cafe afterwards.

For those still mulling over their teams, entries close on June 10.   www.nelsonmtb.org.nz/6-hour  

We've been wrapped to welcome Andy Lowe of award-winning Image Creators on board as a Park sponsor.
Andy has prepared us a couple of event signs which you'll spot driving around Motueka. Locals may even recognise the rider...




Although the emphasis is firmly on the recreational side of the event, that's not to say there won't be some bragging rights up for grabs on the day.

A Nelson muni-cyclist has definitely upped the ante by creating a unique bit of bike-sculpture for a prize.

Marty Richards didn't exactly reveal how you win it - most laps? most blood? - but it's bound to be a treasured piece of art by whoever rides away with it.


The Park isn't just popular with bikers, though.

Right at the start we made a decision to make the Park open to all, including those that like to run or walk the tracks, whether locals - some of whom have been using the old firebreaks for decades - or visitors keen to explore the forest on foot.
This is a win-win. Many of them keep the trails clean of pinecones & minor windfall for us bikers and, in return, we get to show them what considerate people mtbers are ;-)

Occasionally, the Motueka Over-50's walking group visit the Park, always a mid-week day sometime in winter when there's less likely to be a lot of bike traffic. Two local women bikers recently met them while riding up Corkscrew. They were accorded a guard-of-honour by the group, who lined each side of the track and applauded them as they rode past.
A 'royal wave' seemed the only fitting response, I'm told.
What they didn't realise is that was just half the group - the total of 72 had split into two earlier on!
When I came along, an hour or two later, I met them just emerging from Corkscrew. Happy for a breather, I ceded the track and basked in the glow of praise for the Park and appreciativeness for our open-access policy as the long procession passed.
I happily share that with my fellow volunteers here...

Andy's been busy with another sign for us, as well.
We're pleased to welcome Coppins Cycles & Specialised as joint sponsors of our Pump Track.

This gave us an opportunity to provide some basic tips on how to ride the track (along with a couple of no-no's ;-)
Again, spot the local rider (and thanks to Oliver Weber for both pics).

While erecting the sign last Sunday morning, the track was in constant use by family groups: parents watching or doing a few warm-up pumps while their children (some as young as 5) pedaled their way around.

Many had travelled from Nelson just to find somewhere fun for their kids to ride...

Finally, a friend forwarded this link to a vimeo clip offering cornering tips. There's a lot of excellent advice out there on how to do this or that on your bike. I liked the couple of simple tips this video offered and am finding Corkscrew's 60+ corners the perfect track on which to practise. Women can improvise with their own "four-eyes" version of looking round the corner...
http://spokemagazine.com/2012/05/07/hey-coach-how-do-i-corner/

Kaiteriteri 6Hr 2012

As the shortest day comes round again, it's time to start getting your team together for the Mid-Winter Breakout!
After the success of last year's inaugural 6 Hr, the Mountain Bike Park is again playing host to the region's most popular recreational mtb event on June 17.
Because we're anticipating even greater numbers this time, we've shifted the tent city to Bethany Park, adjacent to the MTB Park at the end of Martin Farm Rd.

Solo or teams of 2-4, tandems and even a unicycle class - everyone is catered for.

Imagination in devising your riding kit is rewarded over how fast your lap time is so, whether you're biking mates, a family or a corporate team, get your entry in and your creative juices flowing.

Entry forms are available from all of the local bike shops or you can enter on-line here:
www.nelsonmtb.org.nz/6-hour

There'll be spot prizes throughout the day, music & refreshments available. Last year's was great fun and this promises to be even better!

An added option this year is to join us for a Saturday Night Social Ride before Sunday's big event.

The Park is proving to be a busy place in the evenings.

One rider counted 43 others on a recent Thursday night outing with every track junction hub providing an opportunity to catch up and share stories with others who like it on the dark side.

For those travelling from afield for the event and keen to join us for the Saturday night ride, there are cabin & camping options at Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp  www.experiencekaiteriteri.co.nz
or you can set your tent up at Bethany Park lovetostay@bethanypark.co.nz, all ready for the morning.

The ride will start at 6pm from the beachfront and be followed by a Beer & Bite at the Shoreline Cafe & Restaurant afterwards.

You'll need to let Craig Skillicorn know at  reliance@bettaelectrical.co.nz  or  phone  him  on  035287120 / 021 728 8793 with your intention so he can advise the Cafe of numbers.

The region's growing band of unicyclists have made the Park a favourite destination. They recently made a video of themselves playing on some of the tracks & structures. I'm impressed with the gap jump!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oid4EEStIOY

A friend sent me this pic a couple of weeks ago.

It made me think of how, "in the old days" - when we sneakily built our tracks in nearby forestry blocks - such a thing could never happen within a 25yr logging er....cycle.

In this enlightened age of MTB Parks, however, where tracks are built to last, who knows what sort of tree art could evolve?

Bike Park sculpture could become a whole new medium. Ideas, anyone...?