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A Sting in the TaleTackling New Zealand’s spectacular Southern Alps, The Pioneer 7 Day Epic isn’t what you’d call an easy

ride… especially when you’re still recovering from a near-death experience. WORDS HUW KINGSTON PHOTOS C/O THE PIONEER

The humble bicycle is still one of the world’s most efficient modes of transport, and it’s a great device to explore the planet. Whether

you’ve been riding all your life or you’re just starting your own two-wheeled adventure, the team at AG Outdoor have you covered for gear reviews, trip news and more.

Bike Lane

time on the road bike he began to venture further and faster off-road.

Upon hearing Laurence and his dad had completed a three-day MTB race in France last year I thought The Pioneer might be a possibil-ity for Laurence, another step along his recovery trail. He jumped at the opportunity.

I had no idea what to expect of Laurence in the race. Fatigue was still an issue and he slept some hours each day. He was classified legally blind; permanent brain damage leaving him with peripheral vision but things less than good straight ahead. “You don’t drive over huge rocks with your car; I should be the same on the bike. Anyway I’m glad you’ve got a bright green Osprey pack. I can just follow you and your line,” was his typical laconic advice.

With strong backing from the NZ govern-ment, The Pioneer began in Christchurch, a city still recovering from the massive earthquakes of 2012 that had destroyed so much of what had been known as the Garden City. At the pre-race party, following the obligatory Haka, the Deputy Mayor sent us on our way with best wishes

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“I THINK THERE’S A bee on my back. Can you flick it off?” Megan innocently asked Laurence, standing behind her in the

queue for the shuttle bus to Geraldine. I moved quickly between them and brushed the bee away.

In March 2013 Laurence was tending a beehive in his parent’s garden in Christchurch. One bee spied a gap in Laurence’s protective suit, down by his ankle. It stung him.

Within minutes Laurence went into anaphy-lactic shock and collapsed. Fortunately his wife Viv and mum Jenny, a nurse, found him and gave CPR. For 20 minutes Laurence’s heart didn’t beat. The ambulance arrived and, once at the hospital, Laurence was put into an induced coma. Woken 24 hours later, all seemed pretty good. He sat up in bed, wrote some emails, saw his kids, then it went downhill. He suffered a stroke from which he woke unable to speak, unable to see, unable to walk. One bee, one sting.

Laurence Mote rode mountain bikes for New Zealand, racing full time around the world in the 90s and early-00s. The first time I rode with him I was blown away by the seeming effortlessness of his riding.

After a month in hospital he was transferred to a rehab unit. He learned to walk again, first with a frame then, after a month or so, was able to stumble around unsupported. He learned to talk again, but with a heavy slur. He left the rehab unit on the back of a tandem; his wife piloting her still essentially blind husband.

THE RACEIt seems odd that New Zealand has never

really had a mountain bike stage race to call its own, despite being host for decades to world-renowned multisport events such as the Coast to Coast, and despite the government having invested hundreds of millions of dollars in mountain bike trails, including the all encompassing Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.

The first edition of The Pioneer in January 2016 has changed all that. With the spectacular Southern Alps of the South Island as a canvas to play on, this seven-day, 570km race from Christchurch to Queenstown lacked for nothing.

If the original pioneers of NZ explored as rugged individuals or in tribes, the modern pioneer was required to team up in pairs. I’d followed Laurence’s recovery, and had caught up with him on a couple of occasions. His persistence, drive and, probably in no small part, his background as an elite athlete, had seen him tick off milestone after milestone. Balance and vision problems made cycling difficult but after

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Sunbaked but still enjoy-ing being surrounded by

magnificent NZ South Island terrain.

Left Huw and Laurence still smiling at the start of day 5. Below The flat, neutral roll-out at the start in Christchurch gave lie to the true nature of The Pioneer.

With the spectacular Southern Alps of the South Island as a canvas to play on, this seven-day, 570km race from Christchurch to Queenstown lacked for nothing.

massage parlour. Arranged beyond it, like soldier crabs on guard, were 300 orange Marmot tents; one for each rider, organiser and volunteer. The organisers had thought of everything; even the portable shower units came with soap and shampoo.Day 2 would total 106km with 2500m of climbing through to Fairlie. The mist cleared as we climbed into the mountains, crossing endless creeks and glancing up from crouched positions to take in endless views. The sun was to be our friend and foe all week. In reality we could not complain about the heat in a place so often wrapped in cloud, pounded by wind and soaked by rain. There are few places to hide on the bare expanses of the Southern Alps, but on those good days, for us a week of good days, the reward is unencumbered mountain views.

Those suffering in the heat sheltered under the meagre and uncomfortable shade of the matagouri, while others cursed the tyre-piercing thorns of this same bush.

‘Click, click’. We simultaneously changed down to our lowest gear on yet another climb. Great thumbs think alike, I thought to myself, just as Laurence pointed out the Two Thumbs range opposite. We finished another ripper of a descent and just before climbing again Laurence announced it was time for cous cous. He whipped out a meal of cous cous salad and we feasted as other riders passed our picnic.

For the fast pairs, finishing stages in four to five hours, there was plenty of time at camp to do what needs to be done: eat, drink, shower, massage, clean bike, rest and prepare. For mid-fielders like us, our six- to seven-hour ride times still allowed for these jobs if with less relaxation. It is the back markers, those rolling in after 10 hours or more, who face the greatest challenge as the sun drops low over the mountains. Worn out bodies need a break but can’t have one and too soon the 6am breakfast call comes around again.

My breakfast was coming around again on the 1000m climb soon after leaving Fairlie for the hard 75km stage to Tekapo. Push-walking was the order of the day for most riders; those in fancy, stiff soled carbon race shoes rueing both choice and blisters. Our reward was an undulating ridge offering the first views of

and the new city slogan ‘Anything is Possible’. Whilst the first edition was dominated by Kiwis I bumped into plenty of riders I knew from Australia and others I’d met at stage races around the world, including Spaniards I’d ridden with in Italy and Americans from Mongolia. There were even two fellow Welshmen lining up, while Australia’s top mountain biker Dan McConnell had paired up with his Kiwi equivalent Anton Cooper as race favourites.

FROM THE GET-GODay 1 was a 22km warm-up utilising the trails in the hills behind the city. Warning us what to expect, we went up about as long and straight a climb as the elevation would allow. My glasses steamed up terribly; the blind leading the blind. The sweetener was The Flying Nun, a heavenly descent of rock-armoured singletrack switch-backs. Laurence, on home ground, led me down, something that would become a habit throughout the week – so much for following my bright-green pack.

That afternoon some 300 bikes, bodies and bags were bussed to Geraldine. On the lush grass of the town’s sports field we were greeted by a brown coloured, contorted, giant mud crab-like structure that would move to be our base for the next week. This impressively designed canvas structure would be lounge, dining room, bar, stage, information bureau, device charging hub, movie theatre and

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All details on the Pioneer can be found on www.thepioneer.co.nz. The 2017 event

will take place February.The Pioneer is obviously an event for

enthusiastic mountain bikers with a good level of fitness. Don’t forget to

train on the hills…Flights with Air New Zealand go to

Christchurch from a range of Australian capital cities. There are direct flights

from Queenstown to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

See www.airnewzealand.com.au

Wanna Race?Left Somewhere, somewhere is my orange Marmot tent…Below Laurence sleeping – fatigue is still one of Laurence's biggest issues. But pro-vided we finished early enough for him to get a good afternoon kip he'd be back on fire the next day.

Above My most common view of Laurence during the race – from behind.

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Feral deer make for fast-moving obstacles for racers as they

tackle this steep ascent.

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Aoraki (Mt Cook), New Zealand’s highest. With the mercury nudging 30 degrees I

reckoned even up there, on the 3724m summit, T-shirts would suffice. After a plunging descent to the first feed station brotherly love was not uppermost for one team as elder threatened younger sibling with a foul outburst and a promise to smash his face in. Perhaps it was the heat but it was only Day 3. In contrast, Laurence and I were working well together; enjoying the company and support. He was very much up for the task and my goal was to not be too slow that he’d miss his afternoon sleep.

Crossing braided rivers cooled aching legs and, at one channel, Laurence threw down his bike and went for a full submersion. Given we were on the up again soon after, it was a wise move. The final run to Lake Tekapo was a relief, the turquoise waters even more so.

As the post-dinner awards ceremony rolled on, Megan rolled across the finish line after 12 hours; straight into a microphone held by the MC, Andrew. About 30km in, her father and teammate pulled the pin, exhausted from heat and hill. She rode on and found herself in the company of two British ex-army guys. They continued together until one realised he had

nothing left in the tank and pulled out. Then, on a rutted descent 10km before Tekapo, Megan’s third man of the day went over the bars and out of the race. She rode alone to the finish.

Day 4 to Lake Ohau was billed a ‘recovery’ day, a mere 1900m of elevation gain across 111km. Indeed the first 60km were flat, fast and furious and it was good to be in a similarly paced bunch as we flew along gravel roads hugging hydro canals. Sections of the Alps to Ocean cycle trail wound along the shores of mirror-calm Lake Pukaki, taking us into Macken-zie Country; flat, dry, glacial outwash plains. But this was a mountain race and sure enough, before Twizel, we turned to face the mass of Ben Ohau, and up we went. And up. And up.

Today’s rewards were the views whence we came, then the snows of the highest mountains

and finally the distant dots of the orange soldier crabs way below on the far shore of Lake Ohau. An insane descent plunging off the side of a mountain had us cackling madly and, with adrenaline still high, we rode the final 20km around the lake on curling singletrack before plunging straight into the waters of Lake Ohau. A recovery day indeed.

That evening we watched the sun slowly fade off the mountain gash that had been our descent route. At Ohau we were joined by 50 riders who’d signed up for The Pioneer 3 Day Traverse. It was as though they were gatecrash-ing a biking bender that had already gone on for days. Massage therapists worked to keep bodies going whilst bike mechanics prepared for another all-nighter to keep bikes dancing another day.

Had the gatecrashers not also realised their first day was the longest and hardest of all? A total of 112km, with near 4000m of elevation gain. It was a long day for everyone but lacked for nothing, least of all a route that twisted through superlative mountain country. I could have camped in a dozen places but had to make do with another cous cous picnic. I found a bottomless mud hole that sent me over the bars to a bath but Laurence never faltered.

Everyone was chasing the Grim Reaper, the 2pm cutoff below Lindis Pass. Many were scythed but those who weren’t got to endure the final 1200m climb, the only raindrops of the week and a wind that flattened lighter riders. Our reward was an equal descent on 12km of steep, switchbacking singletrack to pizza in Hawea. Pain so quickly becomes pleasure.

Our penultimate day was a ride of two parts. First a fast run down the Hawea River trails

before the singletrack of Deans Bank. We managed to slide past most riders we had been with and were glad we had. It meant a clear run down some wildly fun, bermed trail. Part two was where many of those riders caught up again; the 25km long climb to the high point of the event, 1562m Snow Farm. It was bleak, open-plateau country that would be hell in a storm. But again blue skies led our eyes far down to Lake Wanaka and across to majestic Mount Aspiring.

“Watch out for the Spaniards,” warned Geoff, the Course Director, during the final briefing. “They’ll rip the sides out of your tyres.” I glanced across to the four Spanish riders who looked puzzled and a little affronted. Laurence punctured in the first kilometre and we picked our way through the field on thin trails through tussock where holes could and would catch the unwary. After 20km we came across one of the

Sections of the Alps to Ocean cycling trail wound along the shores of mirror-calm Lake Pukaki, taking us into Mackenzie Country; flat dry, glacial outwash plains.

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Spanish teams looking rather forlorn, stood amongst clumps of the yellow-green sharply spiked plant known colloquially as Spaniards. Civil war had raged, resulting in a ripped off derailleur.

Down Gentle Annie we went before none too gentle trails traversing high above the Kawareu River. But these were our final climbs before the run down along the river to Queenstown and a finish, fittingly, on Waitangi Day.

The week had whittled its pioneers down to two thirds of those who had begun the journey. Everyone from the winners down marked it as a bloody tough event. Clear victors Dan and Anton were rewarded with a gorgeous greenstone trophy and $10,000 for their near 27-hours of riding. The final finishers’ reward was utter exhaustion and huge satisfaction for twice those hours. Everybody would remember seamless organisation, blue skies, incredible trails and some of the most spectacular landscapes anywhere on earth. The Pioneer will, with little doubt, establish itself on the interna-tional bucket list of any mountain biker.

For me it had been an honour to ride with a man for whom the Southern Alps were his backyard, who was proud of his Maori heritage and who had taken one more step in his ride to recovery from that one bee sting. I would happily ride The Pioneer again with Laurence Mote. However, on my first day home I read that supermodel Megan Gayle had been appointed New Zealand’s first cycle tourism ambassador. I wonder if she’s up for a little ride next February?

Left The Kona team from Canada cross the line. The Pioneer was very much about teamwork.Below Less than two-thirds of Pioneer starters got to bite on a Finishers Medal.Bottom left Laurence wakes up and gets straight to work on the bikes.

Riding up to Snow Farm on Day 6 with Mt Aspiring as an inspiring backdrop.

Huw would like to thank Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, Ground Effect cycle clothing, Osprey packs, Maxxis Tyres and Specialized Bikes for helping to get him to and through The Pioneer.

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Easton ARC 27 custom wheelset

T he long-term Santa Cruz 5010 mustn’t have known what hit it when I brushed off the spider webs and dust and started

prepping it for riding again. Having been off the bike for many months – and then riding a hardtail MTB intermittently – the slick orange screamer hadn’t seen a trail for nearly 12 months. It must have been even more surprised when it found itself being fitted with a new wheelset…

I had been running SRAM RAIL 50 wheels on the long-term 5010 since Bike Lane Edi-tor, Tim Robson, first built the trail rig back in 2014. These had been great – they were fast, responsive and relatively light and served well under the bike at events such as the Mont 24. As any MTB reader knows though, their world is full of constant changes in both bike designs and standards, with one of the most obvious being

the move to wider rims to increase the tyre’s contact patch on the ground – more rubber on terra firma means more traction. A wider rim with a more voluminous tyre also allows the rider to play with air pressures more to find that sweet spot of traction and speed.

Easton’s ARC alloy 32-hole rims come in three separate internal widths – 24mm, 27mm and 30mm – so I headed straight to the team at Summit Cycles and chatted to chief mechanic and wheel-builder Joe Dodd about getting a set built for the 5010. I was keen on the 27mm-width wheel set, as it would offer me substantially increased contact (up from the RAIL 50’s 21mm internal measurement) without being too wide and limiting (at time of writing) the appropriate tyre choice. Joe suggested a set of HOPE 2 hubs with DT Swiss Competition double-butted spokes for the best combination

of strength without too much weight. A custom wheelset may seem out of reach for

many riders but if you are thinking of upgrading your wheels, then going down this path can be comparatively cost-effective and the results are brilliant – as these wheels have shown. The wider rims have proved tough and strong so far and the extra traction is definitely noticeable. A Maxxis Ardent 27.5x2.4 tyre up front ensures that extra width includes plenty of additional bite, and I went for a Maxxis Ikon 27.5x2.35 at the back to ensure rolling speed didn’t suffer. The wheel/tyre combo rolls fast and I can definitely feel a better connection to the trail – there’s no placebo effect here. And for those who don’t want to go down the custom trail, Easton also has its new Heist wheelset, which offers the same range of internal widths but with 28-spoke rims. Win, win, I say…

LONG-TERM BIKE UPDATE

RRP Depends on build spec www.summitcycles.bike TESTED BY JUSTIN WALKER