Team Wide Open Whaka Bike Checks

The Whaka100 is one of the premier events on NZ’s MTB calendar, and it’s become something of a focal point for many of the staff here at Wide Open. Discussions and planning for the 2024 edition began on the first day back at work after the 2023 event. Nearly a year down the track we’ve seen new equipment purchases, dubious experiments with home-made nutrition, body composition analysis and tracking, and tedious conversations about training around the smoko table that the handful of people not doing the event have politely tolerated. Here’s a look at who’s entering this time around and some insights into their equipment choices.

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Caleb Bottcher on his Whaka100 prep

Caleb Bottcher is no slouch at marathon races! With a few top five Whaka100 finishes and even a podium next to his name, he's setting out for this year's event with his eyes on the top step. We were keen to pick his brains for some last minute tips on what it takes to do well at this iconic event.

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ENVE MTB Wheelsets - The Next Evolution

The new ENVE M Series wheel range is the product of over 15 years of R&D at the forefront of carbon wheel engineering, closely following the evolutionary cues of the modern mountain bike.

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3 Bikepacking Setups, for any Adventure

Keen to go on a pedal powered adventure but not 100% sure of how to setup packs on your bike? Here's three examples of some staff setups to draw some inspiration from, no matter what type of adventure you're seeking. 

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ENVE Framesets, Welcome to Real-World Fast.

With the launch of production road and gravel frames, ENVE ride quality is now an attainable option for anyone seeking the best the industry has to offer. ENVE frames don’t just look incredible, they satisfy the criteria of the world’s most demanding riders across the spectrum of road and gravel disciplines.

An ENVE chassis is the canvas upon which you can build your dream bike. Contact us today to discuss the ENVE frameset and components best suited to your needs.

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Emil Johansson - Joins Sweet Protection

We are beyond stoked to see Emil join the Sweet Protection the team. Emil is an icon in Slopestyle and has been a pioneer in the sport. Emil will provide an important piece in further developing Sweet Protection's mountain bike-game - watch this space!

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Robin Goomes Slopestyle Bike Checks

Last week we witnessed a monumental moment in Women's freeride with the first ever Women's Diamond FMB Slopestyle at Crankworx Rotorua. Team Wide Open Rider, Robin Goomes stomped her run and took the top step of the podium. Check out the bikes she prepped ready for the week of riding.

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Bike Check - Emma Olofsson DH

If you follow Emma, you'll know she likes to go BIG! We recently caught up with Emma to check out her favourite rig for activating maximum send 🚀

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Ash's Commencal Tempo

Ash normally spends her biking adventures fuelled by uplifts and gravity - so she's been pretty excited to mix it up on this short travel 120/140mm "downcountry" machine. The Commencal T.E.M.P.O is a new take for Commencal and we were stoked to give it a Wide Open touch. 

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HereThere x Tukino Gravel Ride

Earlier this year our mates from HereThere set out on a picturesque ride in Tukino, National Park. They braved the frosty morning to prove that epic mountain riding isn't reserved exclusively for the south island.

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Nick's New ENVE Mog

Our collective enthusiasm for cycling takes diverse forms at Wide Open, but there's one team member Nick, who stands out as the quintessential "gravelist". So when the chance arose for Nick to claim an ENVE Mog as his staff bike, the answer was always going to be "hell yeah!".

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Josh's ENVE Melee Bike Check

The ENVE Melee is one of the hottest road bikes of 2023. It's been the subject of overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews, has been awarded Bike of the Year by Bike Radar and is lauded as being a truly modern road bike that ticks all the boxes: aero, huge tyre clearance, comfortable enough for long days but spirited and rowdy when you want to throw down. 

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Staff Whaka100 Rides - 2023

The Whaka 100 has gone from being a niggling little thought in the back of everyone's mind to an impending, nerve-wracking reality as Labour Weekend draws near. Several of the Wide Open crew, both staff and those who tolerate the staff in domestic life, have signed up for a day of guaranteed Type-2 fun on Sunday. The banter and sandbagging around the smoko bench is lively and escalating, and gear is naturally a much-discussed subject. Let's take a look at what everyone is running for the big day.

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Caleb's World Cup Season

While we bundled up to survive the Kiwi winter, Caleb headed to warmer pastures to race the U21 World Cup XC season in Europe. It's been a trip of highs and lows, but plenty of learnings and rad experiences. We had a quick catch-up to hear about it so far.

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Your Guide for Mountain Bike Frame Protection

Covering your MTB frame, cranks and forks to protect the shiny (and expensive) goodness underneath is a smart move. Not only does it keep it looking sharp but it's also great for maintaining resale value. Here's our guide to everything MTB frame protection. 

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Welcome Ben Richards

We're stoked to welcome fellow Kiwi and one of the biggest Freeski talents right now to the Sweet Protection NZ family - Ben Richards

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Meet Sweet Protection

Meet the newest Helmet and Protection brand to the NZ Bike and Snow scene - Sweet Protection. 

Our team has been putting this gear to the test and we've been blown away with its top-notch design and quality 🙌. These Norwegians sure know a thing or two.

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Introducing Wolf Tooth

Made in their own manufacturing facility in Minnesota, USA, Wolf Tooth have become world renowned for their high quality precision engineering. Creators of beautiful bike parts, tools and components. We're hugely excited to now have Wolf Tooth as part of our portfolio.

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Interview: Getting to Know Emma Olofsson

Born and raised on the flat planes of Sweden, Emma stumbled across biking while on a working holiday in Queenstown where her love of bikes and mountains quickly eventuated. We had a chat with Emma to get to know her a bit better.

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Bike Check: Robin Goomes Yeti DJ

Robin is one talented rider who totally deserves one of these very rare Yeti DJ frames. There are currently only several of these one-off frames in the world. We were lucky enough to see it in the flesh and get some snaps of it while it was at HQ in March 2023. 

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Interview: Caleb Bottcher on Whaka100 2022

After an epic result gaining 3rd place at the NZ MTB Nationals Whaka100, we thought we better have a chat with Caleb about the race. 

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Catching Up With Louis Hamilton

New Zealand rider Louis Hamilton has been a serious presence on the pro racing scene since his 4th place finish in the Pro-Elite Men's class at the 2019 New Zealand DH Championships, but his win at Crankworx Rotorua 2021 set a new bar for what this talented rider is capable of doing. 

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Interview: Alex Wayman

At the age of 16, Alex Wayman travelled overseas to compete in World Cups for the first time. We recently interviewed Alex, read it here. 

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Hand-Crafted to Precision-Crafted

From the day we founded Apidura, we have striven to do things differently and challenge the status quo. At a time when bikepacking bags were a cottage industry, we decided to embrace a precision-crafted approach. It’s what allows us to push boundaries and create innovative bikepacking gear that’s waterproof, lightweight and durable.

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Apidura: Expedition Series

Created for road riding and long distance tours, the Expedition Series is built from a lightweight material that provides unparalleled waterproofing and defence from the most punishing conditions.

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Apidura: BackCountry Series

Optimised for gravel, singletrack and mountain trails, the Backcountry Series is built from an ultralight, hard-wearing laminate and designed to excel in a wide range of weather conditions.

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Apidura: Racing Series

The Apidura Racing Series is designed for the specific demands of ultra-distance competition and audax. Constructed from a bespoke ultralight laminate developed specifically for Apidura.

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The longest long day lead up

Riding up a fire road so many times and for so long your thoughts tend to wander. One thought process for Simon Noble was the idea of undertaking an Everesting challenge. To gain the height of Mt Everest in one activity, the thought just wouldn’t shake. 

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DYEDBRO: New E-Bike Collection Now Available

DYEDBRO now offer e-Bike frame kits - how do they differ? Well we've made the top tube and down tube sections wider which gives more coverage for the larger e-bike tubes.

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Stan's Introduces Wheels With M-Pulse Hubs

In a world filled with chaos, division, and uncertainty, Stan’s would like you to know we’ve made a really nice set of hubs. Seriously, we went all in on this. Designed and refined over the past two years, the new M-pulse hubs combine quality materials and construction with a smarter engagement system.

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CeramicSpeed: Built by Hand

All the parts used in the CeramicSpeed Bearings and products are carefully selected from the highest quality suppliers. This allows us to create the ultimate performance products, which meet the demands of competitive athletes, enthusiast riders and industry manufacturers.

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CeramicSpeed: How to Save Watts

Your choice, your advantage

One hidden force affects your speed and efficiency on the bike – friction. That’s why, when you’re optimising your bike, it’s worth focusing on every detail, especially the small moving parts that are affected by friction.

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UFO Drip Application and FAQ

For new chains and first application, fully clean and dry the chain, ensuring to rinse all cleaner off before drying. We recommend CeramicSpeed Clean Drivetrain for this purpose. Always shake your UFO Drip bottle well before each use to ensure an even application of waxes.

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Friends & Foes

"Being able to support John with building one of the limited-edition Hall of Fame Foes Mixer frames is pretty special for me, as Foes played a crucial part in what is now Wide Open." - Matt Whitaker

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CeramicSpeed Balls

All CeramicSpeed Balls are of the highest quality Grade 3 Silicon Nitride, featuring the highest achievable surface finish and roundness. The quality of the balls is what determines the performance and lifetime of a bearing. The CeramicSpeed Balls feature unparalleled impact strength, smoothness, roundness and brittleness, proven to be superior to both ceramic and steel balls typically used in the cycling components.

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Stan's Introduces New MK4 and S2 Rims and Wheels

New Wider, Asymmetric Rims and All-New Hubs
Almost 20 years after Stan Koziatek created his first tubeless-ready rims, Stan’s NoTubes is proud to introduce the new Crest, Arch, and Flow MK4 and S2 series aluminum rims and wheelsets. Full information is available here.

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Media: CW Race Crew

Shredding corners, hitting new jumps, having a great time on the trails. 

We recently caught up with the CW Race Crew. 

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Bike Check: Ellie Chew

A Wide Open x Specialized New Zealand Collaboration build for Ellie Chew. 

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Groms & Grub

We recently hit Skyline Rotorua with the Groms.

Shredding some laps of Hipster, learning how to take on the berms, a bit of jumps. There were plenty of tips, tricks, and laps shared with some of the local rippers. 

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Modemaker - Putting You in Total Control

Knog’s Modemaker app allows you to customise the modes for a range of Knog’s lights putting you in total control and letting you choose the way your light-head behaves.

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DEITY: Let It Snow featuring Bas van Steenbergen

From snow to brilliant conditions, join Bas van Steenbergen as he gets festive for the masterful lens of Rupert Walker in the latest edit by DEITY, "Let It Snow"! 

Filmed / Edited: Rupert Walker

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About Knog

We want you to go out. We want to be with you in the rain, in the sun, lighting up dark laneways, helping you see, and helping you be heard. We design products so we’re with you on the town, on the road, and in the wilderness.

ENVE Expands Component Lineup to Include Aluminum Mountain Stems

ENVE is pleased to introduce a new range of cold-forged, precision-machined, purpose-built aluminum mountain bike stems that maintain ENVE’s design principles and are optimized for pairing with ENVE’s M Series carbon handlebar offering.

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Charlie Murray: The Progression

Looking back, the milestones, the triumphs, the progression in the sport. From where he was three years ago, to where he is today, Charlie Murray talks to us about the investment, supporters, and guidance he's had along the way. 

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What's in an ENVE Wheel

Your next wheelset, handbuilt to suit you. 

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Take in the sights

The essence of Clarity. Lenses tuned with highly advanced tints to precisely filter light, intensify specific colors and enhance contrast. Lenses which will improve your performance, safety and give you a new level of sensory clarity, so you are able to focus precisely on what matters at that time.

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Bellas on Mountain Bikes Building Relationships and Confidence

“For too long there have been low numbers for females in the sport, so, it’s great to see kids getting out and fit with their friends with Bellas on Mountain Bikes.”
Anton Cooper, New Zealand XCO representative.

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Meet Finn Hawkesby-Browne

From the age of 4, Finn was on a little 12" bike mountain biking.

He can't remember a time without it. 

Racing at 8 years old, Finn hasn't stopped since, his proudest moment being a win at the ixs European Cup in Pila Italy, and coming 8th overall. 

Read about Finn's highlights, and the challenges he faced coming back from shoulder surgery. 

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Chris King Serviceability

One of the many advantages to Chris King bearings and components is their serviceability. Their bearings are designed with reusable seals and snap rings that are easy to remove and reinstall, providing access to clean and lubricate the bearings.

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Meet: Lui Arnold

From studying high country farming to riding downhill, Lui is passionate about being outdoors. Read about his bike setup essentials, connection with Vertigo Bikes, his advice to other riders, plans for the future, and more... 

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DYEDBRO: How to apply the protector

Here at the Wide Open workshop, we've made a short 2 minute video on how to apply your frame protector. 

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Meet: Cameron Clemett

From bike set up, to the highlights and challenges along the way, this interview with Cameron covers it all. 

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Interview: Matt Begg

We chatted with Matt Begg about how he got into riding bikes, how he learns new tricks and more.

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Meet: Tuhoto-Ariki

Tuhoto-Ariki pretty much started riding as soon as he could walk. His younger years were filled with going around with his family in their bus to most of the BMX rounds in NZ.

Transferring these skills to Downhill racing, Tuhoto-Ariki chats to us about the highlights, the challenges, life beyond bikes, and his plans for the future.

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Adventure Racing with Sam Clark

From borrowing an old racing kayak early in high school, to winning his first Coast to Coast. 

Sam Clark chats to us about his training, overseas adventure racing - including abseiling several hundred meters down a cliff in the middle of the night having not slept for days, and more... 

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The Journey: Kate Fluker

Since first hopping on a bike in 2010, Kate Fluker's racing career quickly took a steep trajectory; setting goals, lining up at her first World Cup XCO event in Europe, and more.

From the hustle of racing life, to slowing down during the lockdown in New Zealand.

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Recipe: Oat Slice

Oat Slice is the perfect riding and everyday snack. Heaps of long-lasting energy and flavour packed into a handy little bar. Customise the recipe for your own tastes! 

Recipe by Caleb Bottcher 

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Interview: Rotorua Mountain Biker, Ashley Bond

From growing up racing Motocross, traveling around the country to compete in race events, to getting introduced to mountain biking in 2015. Ashley Bond chats to us about the challenges, the triumphs, and what keeps her inspired. 

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Bike Maintenance Made Easy!

You've just finished up your ride and your bikes looking a bit dirty, sound familiar? 

Take your next bike wash to the next level with a bit of much-needed maintenance too... here's an easy guide from the team on how to clean and maintain your bike with our Juice Lube essentials. 

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ENTRY: Ellie Chew's Nitro Circus Experience

From Ellie's first phone call at the beginning of 2019 inviting her to the Wellington show, to traveling to Barcelona, Madrid, and her recent Australia tour. Ellie has written an entry on her experience with Nitro Circus! 

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New SDG Bel-Air V3 Saddle – 25 Years of Evolution

Black available now, colours coming soon! 

Chances are, if you’ve ridden a mountain bike in the past 25 years, you probably perched yourself on top of an SDG saddle. 

Although the name and brand have grown since the days of bending titanium rails and stitching fabrics in a garage, the legacy continues for the Bel-Air with the introduction of the new Bel-Air V3 saddle.

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DEITY: DEFTRAP featuring David McMillan

To celebrate the launch of the new Deity Deftrap Pedal, DEITY teamed up with David McMillan and Hunt Cinema to showcase the pedal in action throughout the landscape of New Zealand.

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Media: Yuki Kishi

From creating his popular video edit, 'School Ride' at age 14, to his recent move to New Zealand.

The move has seen Yuki, now 18 years old, enjoying street trial riding around Auckland.

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Welcome to the DEFTRAP experience.

In-store early June!

Revolutionizing what you should expect from a nylon composite pedal. 

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We're Here For The Ride

As we transition into a new way of living, the bikes shops that you know, and trust are working hard to come up with new ways to support you.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what we like about cycling.

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INTERVIEW: Rotorua Mountain Biker, Connor Hamilton

Connor started riding a bike at the age of 5, as he grew older, he found his weekends were taken up by shuttle runs, amongst friends in the Rotorua Forest. 

Now an apprentice builder - we chatted to Connor about what got him into riding and the challenges he's faced along the way. 

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Introducing the ENVE 45 and 65: Speed more, spend less

ENVE's core aero and road technologies delivered to you in a U.S. made, $2,799 package.

"A more accessibly priced wheel collection has been on our project list for many years now"

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ENVE Performance, Privateer Pricing

New Rim Shape, New Ride Feel - Introducing the AM30, now $2,799.

Everything you want and need in a high performance carbon mountain bike wheelset. 

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Get to know: Caleb Bottcher

From riding with his dad while he was training for long-distance running, to his first time on a mountain bike, to what drew him to compete. Get to know XC racer, Caleb Bottcher - 

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Meet Ben Hume

We had a chat with Central Otago based Engineer, Ben Hume about how he got into skiing, where it has taken him, and life outside of skiing. 

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Caleb Bottcher: A Trip to North America

As the world slows to a crawl, it is a great time to reflect on and look forward to the adventures that life offers us. I thought it was particularly timely for me to reflect on last May and June’s North American trip. 

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Caleb Bottcher

Caleb Bottcher is based out of Palmerston North, working at Central Bicycle Studio part-time, Caleb is a passionate XC and Mountain Biker.

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Matt Begg

Matt Begg is a Freerider from Queenstown, New Zealand.

Matt is sponsored by: Wide Open, DEITY Components, POC Sports and Goodyear Bicycle Tyres

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The Acclaimed DEITY Line of Grips Expand

The evolution of the DEITY Grip Line has arrived. Welcome to the debut of the new SUPRACUSH and LOCKJAW Grips!

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A Day in the Life of Connor Hamilton

We had a chat with Connor Hamilton about what an average day looked like to him - highlights included a bowl of porridge (or two) in the morning and riding his bike with his mates. 

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Louis Hamilton

"It all started from building sketchy jumps with bricks and planks in the backyard with my brother and breaking many warehouse bikes! It has since taken me to competing at an international level, traveling the world meeting many great people and also starting my own mountain bike coaching business - Tuned Rotorua!"

Louis is supported through Wide Open with DEITY and Stan's NoTubes

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Cameron Clemett

Born in Blenheim, Cameron Clemett first got into riding bikes at local Cyclocross and XC events. In most recent days you'll find him racing at Enduro and Downhill events.

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Connor Mahuika

"My proudest achievement would have to be placing 4th in Crankworx Rotorua 2016 pumptrack challenge as a 16 year old in an elite men category." 

Connor is sponsored by Wide Open, POC Sports and FSA (Full Speed Ahead)

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Ashley Bond

Ellie Chew

"The enjoyment of riding a bike has never stopped, and now entering into the world of MTB a whole new level of excitement and challenges are ahead."

Ellie is supported by Wide Open with DEITY, Stan's NoTubes, absoluteBLACK, Goodyear, ODI Grips, POC Sports, SDG Components, MarshGuard and Juice Lubes

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Kate Fluker

Kate Fluker's racing career quickly took a steep trajectory. From starting to ride in 2010, to where she is today.

"My days were quickly filled with fundraising events to travel and race overseas, work, training, and a tiny bit of social life."

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Sam Shaw

Sam Shaw is an all-round bike enthusiast, competing across Enduro, DH, XC and most recently dabbling in Road Racing. You'll often see him at an array of bike events throughout NZ and internationally. 

Sam is supported by POC Sports, SDG Components and ODI Grips. 

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Conor Macfarlane

"My proudest moment - competition-wise it would have to be going to the World Championships for XC or Redbull Rampage and riding-wise would be some of my video parts, a lot of hard work go into those so it always feels good when they are well received."

Conor is sponsored by: Wide Open, POC Sports, FSA (Full Speed Ahead), ENVE Composites, ODI Grips, SDG Components, and DEITY Components. 

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Connor Hamilton

Connor Hamilton is a Rotorua based Enduro and DH rider. You'll often see his friendly face around the Whakarewarewa forest. 

Connor is sponsored by: Wide Open, POC Sports, DEITY Components, Goodyear Bicycle Tyres, Stan's NoTubes, ODI Grips, SDG Components, Afton Shoes, absoluteBLACK, Juice Lubes and MarshGuard 

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Meet Louis Hamilton

For Louis, it all started with building sketchy jumps from bricks and planks in the backyard and breaking department store bikes. It has since taken him to compete at an international level, travel the world, meet many great people and also start his own mountain bike coaching business - Tuned Rotorua.

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