Culture & Community
Oct 8, 2025
Mountain is dirty and dangerous. Until it isn't.
There are numerous things to note about life in a bike town. Many you might expect. More bike shops, and better ones, than you would normally see in a regional town.
Aug 25, 2025
An apology to customers from the United States of America
We are very sorry (and grumpy) to announce that for the time being we can no longer send things to the USA.
Jun 30, 2025
Say Gidday!
climb up Direct Road, a cruel and merciless grovel that is a necessary evil for anybody wanting to get the best out of a ride in the local patch.
Feb 18, 2025
The Old Ghost Road version 2
As reported previously, last autumn I finally got the chance to ride the Old Ghost Road. I liked it so much I organised a rematch a month later. It turned out slightly differently, but just as good.
Feb 14, 2025
Bikepacking and hitch hiking
Right around now, hundreds of people are gearing up to participate in the Tour Aotearoa, a self-supported bike ride from North Cape to Bluff.
Dec 6, 2024
Earthmoving, our way
This week I got to go out in the woods with my long-time riding buddy and chief Nzo photographer Graeme Murray. As I have mentioned before, he is one of the top outdoors photographers in the world, and getting involved in a session with him on his day off is always good and very educational.
Oct 18, 2024
A funny thing happened
Here is a funny thing that happened this week, and necessitates a deep dive into Nzo history. Just after the turn of the millennium, we somewhat naively decided to go to Interbike in Las Vegas.
Sep 17, 2024
How to get sponsored
Even a small mountain bike apparel brand adrift in the South Seas gets its fair share of sponsorship proposals. None of them offering to sponsor us.
May 3, 2024
Top of the South
Almost two months since I reckoned I would report on a recent mountain biking trip in this blog, I am only now getting around to it. I am getting to it now because we are sitting in our little caravan in a tiny but excellent campground while the weather goes from bad to really bad.
Jul 12, 2023
Mountain biking culture... is there one?
It just didn’t look ‘right’. The sight of this gang made both of us happy - they were out in the woods, on bikes, having fun. It also made us raise our eyebrows, and wonder what it meant for the ‘culture’.
Feb 24, 2023
Craters of the Moon
Mountain biking is a sport where some of the people who do it provide the facilities. Most other sports use places created for the purpose by authorities, or they operate in nature.
Nov 18, 2022
A deep dive into New Zealand mountain biking history
The history of New Zealand mountain biking could arguably start sometime pre-WW2, when races like Round the Gorges were almost completely ridden on gravel. Mountain biking as we know it today got started in the 80s.