Lyttelton Urban DH 2014

Last weekend was the annual (if not delayed) Lyttelton Urban Downhill Race in Lyttelton, NZ. This is a crazy DH race that involves jumps and drops in the urban setting of steep city streets and suburban backyards. Scott raced in the 2013 LUDH, and posted his video, which I then posted to this blog. 

Anyways, here's my photo montage from this year's event. 

Scott at the treehouse jump.

Not Scott. But look, containers and harbor views!

Scott jumping out of the haunted house.

Not Scott. But it could have been!

Guy I caught at the right time...

Scott, who I caught at the wrong time.

Someone else's photo of Scott coming off the Porthole Bar.

Jump to the finish off the roof of the Porthole Bar.

He was pleased with his race, and rightfully so- coming in 4th in Open Men, and 19th in the overall Pro category. He also filmed his race run again, which is pretty much the coolest thing ever. 

CLICK HERE!!!!!

And yes, I know I'm painfully behind on posting anything. But I've been away traveling. So lots of photos of mountains and sheep to come. (Don't like mountains and sheep? Go read someone else's blog.)

Oceanias Race and Other Recents

As I mentioned in my recent serious, if not a little depressing, post- whilst Cyclone Lusi was wreaking havoc on the little bitty south island of New Zealand, my husband was off competing in the Oceanias National Downhill MTB Championships. Brilliant.

Luckily for him and the bones in his body, he seems to excel at riding in sloppy, wet conditions. See post race run photo:

Pretty gnarly, eh? And I don't know who the guy below is, but this is the course he had to work with in these fine conditions:

Craziness.

But as I mentioned, he seems to excel in these conditions, and he brought home the win in the Masters class. This race was the championships for all of NZ, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. So that's pretty cool.

Also a nice photo of Scott at the recent Dodzy Memorial Enduro, more wet and challenging conditions:

I wish I could say I was racing too but Im just not quite that tough yet. Below, a few photos from our last Queenstown trip. My idea of a good time!

Doesn't this just scream "summer"?….

Mmmmmm….. wine.

Race Report: Gravity Canterbury Enduro #1 - Godly Head

To 99% of my readers who are interested in life in New Zealand, immigrating, expat experiences, etc… I'm sorry. It's bike season again. I will truly try to write more helpful bits and pieces about expat life in New Zealand.

But today, not so much. The first enduro of the summer was a few weeks ago, actually the day before Scott's birthday. It was basically in our "backyard"- literally about 10 minutes up the hill. However, in true enduro fashion, we started at the bottom of the racecourse, down at a little beach called Taylor's Mistake. We climbed up a steep, twisty trail aptly named Anaconda, which we would later race down as the final stage. After this climb, we climbed for several kilometers on the road, right to the tip top of Mount Pleasant.

The weather, however, was anything but pleasant. We were greeted at the top of the mountain with wind and horizontal raindrops. The track was rocky, muddy, and slick. From the top of Mount Pleasant, we completed three different timed stages. The first was unbelievably slippery, and I quickly made it my goal just to finish intact. The second and third stages were much shorter than the first, and as we dropped in elevation, the weather lifted and the traction improved. Here's the course, uploaded from my Garmin:

It was a total of 13.9 miles (beginning and finishing at that checkered square on the right) with 2,500 feet of climbing. For anyone not familiar with the area (all of you?) I think it's pointless to try to break down the stages (plus, no one cares but me and I recognize that). But there's the map. It's nerdy and I like it.

I found the following photos of Scott and I, taken during stage 3 (the driest stage) of the race. Photo credit goes to Tony Brunt.

Gawd, isn't that 'stache horrible??? And the retro 90's kit to boot... Watch out ladies!

Below, a few photos of people I don't know. But it gives a nice idea of the course, weather, and scenery.

In the end, the wild weather still treated us pretty well. Scott ended up 1st in his class (Masters 30+) and 5th in the race overall. I placed 2nd in my class (Women's Open under 30) and 4th in the Women's overall.

Pay attention when you're on the podium!! Ha!

The next race is this weekend in Dunedin. It's supposed to be a big one. Full face helmets required and an urban race tomorrow night for seeding. Should be good!

Race Report: Outside Sports 6 Hour Super D

You'd think I would learn.

Every race we've done here has been bigger, gnarlier, longer, and crazier than the last. Dodzy, Craigieburn, Lyttelton. Each one sounded super fun, I would get all amped up... and then it would be the single most difficult thing I've ever done in my whole life. (Well besides the Urban DH, never even pretended I was going to enter that one.) So, you'd think I would learn.

Obviously the "6 hour" aspect makes this race sound hard, but, Scott & I entered as a team. Therefore, I thought, he'll do (at least) half the work. 3 hours can't be so bad. And it's gondola assisted. So there won't be much climbing. Basically, I figured I entered myself in a 3 hour race to see how many downhill runs I could get in. Like a morning at Northstar. No biggie.

View of the gondola from our condo

Gahhhhhhh, I'm always so wrong. Yes, there was the gondola "assist" (aka: 5 minutes to catch your breath), and yes, I rode down the mountain. Technically. There were steep climbs. There were mellow climbs. There were long climbs. There were short climbs. There were climbs with turns, and climbs with roots, and climbs that crossed creeks. There were also nice steep DH sections that didn't last long enough. There were flat pedal-y bits through river rocks. And then there was the 3 minute section through the campground at the bottom, which zig-zagged around like a drunk panda in a zen garden.

Scott and I traded off a little ankle transponder which clocked the times for our runs. And gave me insight into the life of Martha Stewart. We communicated via text messages which we checked while the other one was out racing. Things got exciting when Scott's derailleur ripped off and became one with his rear wheel. I ended up doing an extra unexpected lap, and then he finished off the entire race with a lap on my bike. And I prayed for his its safety.

It was exhausting. If we were out for a ride, I probably would have done the lap twice, patted myself on the back, and shamelessly devoured a cheeseburger. I went five laps. Scott went seven. But he's all tough and pro mountain biker man. 5 laps. I nearly died. Oh yeah, we got 5th out of 9 co-ed duos. You could either look at it as Scott boosted my results, or I dragged him down. I bet he doesn't ask me again next year.

Per usual, I have no pictures because I was busy dying riding. But here's a couple of bike related pics from the rest of the weekend.

What I take a picture of when we get to Queenstown

What Scott takes a picture of when we get to Queenstown

What traveling with us looks like...

An evening ride 15 minutes northwest of Queenstown (Zoot Track)

Stay tuned in for more pictures from Queenstown over the next few days! Hope everyone has more exciting Easter plans than I do!

Race Report: Lyttelton Urban Downhill

Urban Downhill. What the heck?

It's a downhill mountain bike race, in an urban setting. Instead of boulders and trees, it's shipping containers and moving trucks. And a beautiful NZ port town setting, and thousands and thousands of spectators.

This time around, I took part in spectating instead of racing. Those uncomfortable with launching their body and bike 40 feet or so had to sit back and watch... and this included almost half of the guys who entered!

What goes in to setting up an Urban DH race? A ton, I'm sure... but a lot of work went in just a few hours prior to race time.

On the way to the race, very urban, no?

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a small stomach ache as race time came... it's a bit nerve wracking to watch. But, it all subsided when I saw the guys (and my guy) in action. All of the following are of Scott.

I'm quite proud of my man... he finished 21 out of 70, and we got some awesome shots! This one is my fav:

I didn't take this one, obviously credit goes to iLite Photography

Also... if you are sitting down, check out the helmet cam footage Scott put together from one of his practice runs. It's a lot like being on the bike yourself! Enjoy!

Scott's Run: Lyttelton Urban DH

Race Report: Craigieburn Enduro

Oh man, I don't even know where to start...

What. A. Race.

Craigieburn, as I'm sure you can gather from my former posts, is a little forest sort of in the middle of no man's land, 90 minutes west of Christchurch. I actually made a funny little map in another post. Anyhow, it's between a couple of mountain ranges, and the nearest civilization is Castle Hill Village, which is just a cluster of vacation homes. No stores. No cell reception. No petrol. So, being that the setting was po-dunk middle of nowhere, I assumed the race would be kind of the same.

You know what they say about assuming.

This thing was, as they say here, "full on". There were about 120 racers, so it was a good moderate size. But the race... ohmygawd. Seriously, I wouldn't have done it if I knew what I was in for. But in all honesty (Scott, stop reading here)... I'm glad I did it. I never would have known that I could.

All pics courtesy of BikeCycleNZ's Facebook page. I didn't have my camera- but even if I did I probably would have forgotten to take photos, as one does during a near-death-experience. Anyways, thank you BickCycleNZ for all photos.

The race began with a shuttle. Normally, these events begin with a shuttle to the top of a mountain, or at least to the top of something. This shuttle was just up the highway. Sure we probably gained 100 feet of elevation, but it really had nothing to do with gravity-assisted riding and everything to do with racers not getting smashed on the road. Pictured above are riders taking off after the shuttle, ready to begin the ascent to stage 1.

A quick run-down of "enduro" racing for those of you who don't care know much about it...

The format of the race is supposed to mimic that of a good ride with your buddies: you all ride together on the flats and uphills, you race each other down the fun downhill bits. The enduro race usually, but not always, starts with a shuttle (ie: a van that carries bikes/passengers) to the top of a hill or mountain. There are transfer stages (flats/uphills) that are non-timed but must be done within a reasonable amount of time. The idea is you can ride this with your buddies, chat, stop and eat, conserve energy, etc. They may take anywhere from 10-60 minutes. Sometimes a transfer stage can even be a shuttle.

The transfer stages lead you to the timed stages, which are downhill oriented but not totally gnarly downhill MTB type tracks. Race stages may include small climbs and pedal-y bits, and technical sections, etc., so good mountain bike handling skills are pretty necessary. Race stages usually last 2-20 minutes, it just depends on the race.

Here's a map of the race at Craigieburn:

So it's a bit hard to decipher. Blue markings are transition stages, red are race runs. Not pictured: elevation gained during blue sections. Also not pictured: my disdain at the start of each blue section...

If you don't ride a bike and you're still with me, I'm impressed! Here's the gist of it: I did 4,100 feet of uphill climbing, and about 4,200 feet of downhill riding and racing. I was on my bike for about 5 hours, but technically I only raced for a total of 29 minutes total (the red sections). Although it was neither the longest distance I've ridden on a mountain bike, nor the most challenging of downhill tracks, this ride was definitely, by far, the hardest ride I've ever done.

It felt like there was "no exit" around this time! But actually... 2 guys quit because it was so hard!

Scott and I have done several Enduros in Oregon and California, as well as the Dodzy Memorial Enduro last month in Nelson. Every single race in the past has had much more "gravity assistance" (i.e.: shuttle vans) than this race did. And I have to say... I miss the vans. I'm just not that tough. However... riding (and riding, and riding, and riding...) up the mountains did provide incredible views. Here's the view from the start of Stage 4. The climb up to this stage was awful. I actually probably would have thrown a fit if any of the guys were around to endure it. Thankfully I was alone. Anyway...

It's amazing to me that 120 racers showed up for this event. Of course, goes to show ya, there's a lot more fit folks out there than you realize... and that's pretty inspiring.

After I regained the will to live, which took a good half hour, I joined the guys for hamburgers and beers as we waited for results.

Our buddy visiting from the states (pictured, sitting with beer) managed to get his photo snapped... looking grumpy.

Scott and a friend (both in green) talking about the important things in life... undoubtedly bikes and beer.

The most shocking part of the whole weekend, aside from my feeling at the bottom of every mountain, was the results. No, I didn't win or podium (that wouldn't be shocking, it would be impossible), but I did manage 7th out of 13! Not too bad for a girl who really isn't even in the same class as these athletes. Of course this did not include the climbs, because then I'm positive I'd have been last.

More impressively, Scott got 7th overall. The list of competitors included some world cup pro cyclists, so I'm quite proud of him.

So what's next for the bike wife (and the cyclist himself)? We have a few events over the next couple of weeks, which I will post about as they happen, but the next big thing is the Queenstown Bike Festival. We're entering as a team (man, he has his work cut out for him), competing in a 6 hour gondola assisted Enduro. And our team name... 'Merican Muscle.

Oh man.

Race Report: DME

This weekend was our first mountain bike race in New Zealand. And what a way to kick off the "season"!

The DME was the first annual memorial enduro put on by NZ Trail Solutions. James Dodds was a local mountain bike legend who was killed in a hunting accident last September. Judging by the turn out of locals and friends at the race, he was a very well loved man.

NZ Trail Solutions are a group of guys who are paid to build mountain bike trails. This is where it gets weird though... The land that NZTS builds on is private land owned by an American millionaire (or billionaire... the jurys' out). This American guy pays a bunch of guys to just build and maintain MTB trails on his land here in New Zealand, just so they are epic for his enjoyment whenever he decides to chopper in. Which is about twice a year. Oh, and he owns land with such trails and paid trail builders in several other countries as well, including Chile, Canada, and Jamaica. How bizarre is that?

Anyways, NZTS obviously got permission from the Rich American (top 1% anyone?), and they were able to hold this super cool race in Dodzy's memory. There were 200 entry spots, and due to Scott having a friend who insisted that he go to this race, we signed up quickly before the spots sold out.

Scott's Ibis soaking up the rays....

The weekend format was different from any other enduro or any race, really, that I've ever been a part of. Due to the fact that the trails are private, and are absolutely phenomenal in construction and quality, Saturday was more of a shuttle day than a practice day. Racers were shuttled to the top of the mountain and then split in to groups divided by what they would like to experience (basically grade 3, grade 4, or grade 5 trails). The groups each had an expert guide that then led them down 2400 ft. of stunning mountain bike track.

I got to experience all levels, although grade 5 put me on my feet and had me running a bit. Unfortunately the activity was way too intense to consider bringing the Canon, so I don't have decent photos. However, Caleb Smith of Spoke Magazine took this incredible shot of Scott.

Credit: Caleb Smith/Spoke Magazine

On Saturday night, there was a pre-race party at Deville Cafe & Bar in Nelson. This was a super rad indoor/outdoor venue that had a decent beer selection, and looked to make a mean flat white. I enjoyed the patio area, and plan on returning soon.

Sunday was race day. And as I mentioned, this was the funniest race I had been to. No one in our group had really pre-ridden the course. Scott & I had both seen about 1/3 of the track. But everyone at the event seemed to agree they were there for the riding, not for the race. Many people even said they wished it was just 2 shuttle days instead of 1 shuttle day and 1 race day. Anyhow, as you may guess, barely any pre-riding equalled some pretty meager race results. 

Actually, I thought Scott's were pretty decent (he got 40th overall, 13th in his class) considering he was up there with a handful of world famous downhill racers, and tons of NZTS trail builders who know the trails inside and out. My results though... haha. Ha. Let's just say I'm on a diet and a training program so the next race isn't so pathetic. 

For those of you wondering (mom), our next race is the Craigieburn Enduro in 2 weeks.

Scott getting artsy with his bike.

We stayed an extra day in Nelson this time around, and spent time having moonlit strolls along the river, exploring downtown, checking out the beach, and having good beers!

Moon over Nelson

River running by our hotel (pictured on the far right)

Afternoon view of the ocean from a hillside suburb

Last time we were in Nelson I posted a photo of the Free House. This time, we actually got to enjoy it. Not only does this place have awesome rotating beers on tap (and several of them!), they also allow you to order takeaway and have it brought in. We had Indian food from across the street, whilst thoroughly enjoying a Voyager IPA (delicious and well balanced hoppy IPA) and a Strong Ox (dark and daring, and fantastic).

Good beer deserves a photo

The Free House in the setting sun

On the inside. Yes, you get your beer at the alter. So. Cool.

Once again we were sad to leave Nelson, but enjoyed the scenic drive home along the eastern coast of the south island. 

Moon rising over Kaikoura