News: My Kona: Nicole Hsu
Nicole Hsu is Kona's production coordinator. Based out of Taiwan, Nicole is our go-to person to ensure our bikes are being manufactured, assembled, and painted to our satisfaction. Outside of work, Nicole loves to ride her Process on her local trails, and the trails of Vancouver's North Shore. She represents a crucial step in the bike-making Process for Kona and we are lucky to have someone as dedicated and awesome as Nicole!
Locking Down Pt. 1: Wide Open
Life, and how we do business, has changed massively over the past couple of months. It's still anyone's guess, as to what the future holds. We've reached out to some of our friends in the industry to find out how COVID-19 has affected their business. First up, we've got Matt Whitaker, of Wide Open, who supply a range of brands including POC, Stans Chris King, Deity and more to the New Zealand market.
Firstly, how’s the past six weeks been?
All things considered not bad, I really enjoyed time with the family and getting out of routine. For the team at Wide Open, it’s been a period of adapting to a new way of working. Like many New Zealanders’, the team has readjusted to the lifestyle of working from home and all that comes with it. From Zoom chats to catching up about work projects, to helping kids out with schoolwork throughout the day, to a bit more time for building projects around the house! It’s been a new lifestyle for us to adjust to. With the transition to alert level 3, we had some of the team working at Wide Open HQ and others that could work from home remained doing so. As we move through alert levels and transition back into the workplace we look forward to having the team back together and riding bikes together again!
As we move through this pandemic, what are dealers telling you?
In general dealers have been reasonably positive. Yes, it’s been a pretty challenging time, but cycling in many ways has been celebrated during lockdown - if not outdoors then indoors. It has given many the time and opportunity to reset – to think about new ways to do things, to learn new things, and to reflect on what they enjoy about cycling and reconnect with that.
How has your warehouse distribution and dispatch been affected and what have you done to cope?
The initial lockdown period saw us halt distribution - so we redirected our focus to projects that we could still work on, such as the new Wide Open website. The team worked hard and put plenty of time into this project. It was great for us to have something to look forward to completing amongst the new routine we were adjusting to at the time. As a few weeks passed, we were able to drop ship essential orders, which ran smoothly - I went into the warehouse and dispatched orders every second day.
We’ve heard of a dealers selling bikes before lockdown and servicing being up post lockdown - is this what your seeing/hearing?
Yes, bikes are getting some much needed treatment after the lockdown period - some workshops opened safely at level 3 and have had high demand and that’s still the case now.
With many people out on bikes do you think there's increased awareness of riding?
For sure, I think there’s an increased focus on health and wellness, which has drove people to pull a bike out of the shed that hadn’t been ridden in a while.
What types of products are selling well during this period and how have eCommerce platforms helped sales?
Service based products like sealant and tubeless products have been by far the biggest category for us. What was interesting was the spike in Feedback Sports work stands and tools, for all the home repairs I presume. The comfort of shopping safely from home has been important to many, so we’ve supported retailers e-commerce platforms with drop shipping orders.
How does level 2 and eventually 1 look for Wide Open?
All the staff will be back at HQ which will be nice, it’s been kind of strange working in an empty office. When the time is right we will get out visiting retailers again. Overall, we look forward to getting things back to normal as soon as possible. and. hopefully go skiing when the mountain opens!
As we move into Level 2, we'll continue to bring you stories of how the cycling industry is adjusting to our 'new normal', so stay tuned!
Images: Cameron Mackenzie
News: YT Announces new Australian Partner
Press Release: YT Industries redefines strategy with new partnerships
"YT Industries is happy to announce a new business partnership in Australia. The German direct brand has agreed to terms with Pushys as they redefine their business strategy to be closer to the Australian market and further strengthen the great relationship with customers Down Under. Day Zero Limited will continue to be a strong ally in New Zealand with both an online and offline presence.
Pushys and Day Zero Limited are YT’s choice partners for the mountain bike market in Oceania. Both partnerships give mountain bikers access to the whole YT product portfolio both online and offline.
YT Family members in Australia and those who wish to become part of ‘the fam’ can get in-depth information about all bikes on YT’s website. After reading up on each of the TUES, CAPRA, JEFFSY, DECOY and brand-new IZZO models and deciding on their bike of choice customers are redirected to Pushys for the final purchase. However, the Australian distributor also offers offline opportunities to service, see, touch and test ride your favorite YT thanks to a demo fleet, which will be available at the Pushys’ Flagship Store in the Aussie Capital, Canberra, from the end of May. Naturally, access to testing and servicing of bikes may be affected by local regulations concerning the Coronavirus pandemic. Customers are therefore recommended to inform themselves about the current situation before making the trip.
New Zealanders looking to get their hands on a new mountain bike can rely on Day Zero Limited for everything YT. Customers can browse through the product portfolio and decide on their dream bike online. Day Zero Limited also offers an offline service thanks to a showroom in Christchurch where riders can see the bikes in the flesh, get their YT bike serviced and even test ride the newest models. Yes, that will include the IZZO too. As is the case in Australia, access to testing and servicing of bikes may be affected by local regulations concerning the Coronavirus, so the YT Family in NZ should check online first, whether these services can be offered in the current situation. For now, the showroom is not open and test rides are not possible, but the servicing of bikes can be arranged.
“We are stoked that we have finalized a partnership with such an experienced company such as Pushys, which is already a successful distributor of mountain bikes in the Australian market. Day Zero Limited will continue to be our business partner for New Zealand. Day Zero Limited has been and will continue to be a highly reliable ally and has played a great role in establishing the YT brand in that market. We value both partnerships highly, look forward to consistently improve brand visibility, and are stoked to be bringing more of our bikes to mountain bikers in Oceania.“ – Markus Flossmann, CEO YT industries GmbH
News: 12-Speed Shimano Deore is Here!
Press Release: Fourth-tier Shimano MTB groupset brings proven 12-speed drivetrain and braking technology to the masses, with new 11 and 10-speed versions too.
Shimano has just announced their latest iterations of their Deore Groupset, with new 10, 11 and 12-speed versions added to their lineup. As per the usual case, the M6100 12-speed version features trickle-down technology from Shimano's XTR, XT and SLX groupsets and will, of course, will come in cheaper than any of their other 12-speed offerings.
We'll have a groupset to test soon, but in the meantime, keep reading to learn more about their new M6100 12-speed offering.
Crankset: The Deore 12-speed crankset will only come in a single-chainring configuration. Do you really need more than one chainring with 12-speed, anyway? It features the same narrow/wide tooth profile as the XTR, XT and SLX cranksets , so chain retention won't be an issue and the chainrings are direct-mount, so you can swap sizes to your heart's content. Available in 170mm or 175mm, with a 30T or 32T chainring and, in three different Q-Factors.
Rear derailleur:The 12-speed Deore rear derailleur will move your chain across the 10-51T cassette quickly and accurately. As you'd expect, the Shadow RD+ technology will help chain chatter to a minimum, and keep the chances of dropping your chain low.
Shifter:The Deore 12-speed shifter features I-SPEC EV mounting, give you a ton of flexibility to get your shifter in the perfect position, along with Rapid Fire Plus and a 2-Way Release, so you can move through your gears quickly.
Brakes:The Deore M6100 brakes come in a two pistion XC variant, or a four piston trail/enduro version. Both feature a redesigned lever, adding stiffness for better feedback as well as more power and as you'd expect, feature Shimano's Servo Wave tech, meaning the pads engage quicker, more power and a shorter free-stroke.
News: Lezyne Release New GPS Platform
Press Release: LEZYNE ADDS KOMOOT AND RELIVE COMPATIBILITY TO ITS GPS PLATFORM
"San Luis Obispo, CA – Premiere cycling accessories manufacturer Lezyne has yet again updated its advanced collection of GPS devices. This new update partners Lezyne with the innovative adventure-planning brand Komoot, and with the interactive sharing platform of Relive. This further bolsters Lezyne’s third-party compatibility that already features Strava, TrainingPeaks and Today’s Plan.
“We are very excited to team up with Komoot and Relive,” says Dillon Clapp, Lezyne’s worldwide marketing manager. “Both brands offer such a fun, interactive community, and we know our GPS users will be thrilled to have these additional features added to our GPS platform.”
The rapidly growing Komoot boasts over 10 million users and offers one of the best interfaces for planning and navigating routes around the world. When a Lezyne and Komoot account are connected, routes created with Komoot can be wirelessly sent to a Lezyne GPS device through the Lezyne Ally phone app. Once transferred, turn-by-turn directions are available, along wit a navigation trail overlay on the map screen (compatible devices only).
“Komoot is excited to partner with Lezyne to provide world-leading routing and navigation across Lezyne’s range of GPS devices," says Ben Thompson, Komoot’s director of business.
Relive features a community of over five million members, who can share their adventures using story telling, animated 3D videos and more. Now, activities recorded using a Lezyne GPS device and uploaded to Lezyne’s GPS Ally phone app or GPS Root website can be shared seamlessly with Relive, either automatically or manually.
Relive’s co-founder, Joris van Kruijssen, explains, "We are thrilled to welcome Lezyne users to the Relive community with this new partnership, enabling more people around the world to share their outdoor adventures like nothing else!"
Activating these new features with Lezyne’s GPS platform is free, but does require a quick update to the Lezyne GPS device and companion smartphone app (check the app store if automatic updates are not selected). If you do not have a Lezyne GPS computer, you can find more information here: https://ride.lezyne.com/collections/gps-devices.
Additionally, both Komoot and Relive offer a free version of their respective platforms, with upgrade options to unlock further comprehensive and interactive features."
News: Giro Launch the Manifest Spherical Helmet
Giro have just come out with a new helmet featuring the spherical technology we've seen in some of theirs, and Bell's, latest offerings. We've got one on the way for review, but in the meantime, keep reading to learn more about the latest helmet in Giro's line up.
"Why compromise? For the riders that demand the best equipment, meet Giro’s new Manifest™ Spherical helmet. With Spherical Technology™, best-in-class ventilation, full coverage and luxurious comfort, Manifest is the most premium trail riding helmet available.
Among the Manifest’s extraordinary features is Spherical Technology which utilizes a ball-and-socket design that’s powered by MIPS® to redirect impact forces. Developed in Giro’s test lab in partnership with MIPS®, Spherical Technology allows the outer liner to rotate around the inner liner during a crash, and eliminates contact with a hard plastic slip-plane against skin. Another major benefit of Spherical Technology is progressive layering—dual-density foam liners designed to address high- and low-speed impacts for more comprehensive energy management.
As you push your limits on the pedals, you’ll appreciate this helmet’s wide-open airflow. The AURA reinforcing arch bolsters structural integrity while allowing air to flow freely into a series of massive Wind Tunnel™ vents and internal channeling. Comfort and sweat absorption are enhanced by quick-drying antimicrobial XT2 padding. You’ll notice this cooling power when you’re hammering in the heat and it’s backed up by our test results (Manifest runs significantly cooler than other trail helmets and rivals our class-leading Aether™ road helmet). Fit and positioning adjustments are achieved with a redesigned Roc Loc® Trail Air fit system that offers dynamic strength and UV-resistance while improving ventilation and comfort. And it almost goes without saying—the Manifest’s sophisticated style and compact design raise the bar for performance and style."
News: Moving the Needle Podcast
MOVING THE NEEDLE : The Andrew Neethling Podcast
"In this show, Andrew sets out to pick apart the minds and strategies that Top Athletes and Industry leaders use to reach the pinnacle of their Sport. Including their early beginnings, bouncing back from adversity, and candid untold stories from life on the road. As a professional international downhill mountain biker, and now commentator, Andrew “ Needles “ Neethling brings 18 years of experience in all aspects of the Cycling Industry."
There are two episodes available to listen to right now! You can find them here.
Story: Powering a legacy
BOSCH X ROTORUA TRAILS TRUST
Maintaining trails takes a lot of effort. It’s tempting to think that the trail fairies just magically appear each evening and fix everything, after we’ve all been skidding through on a wet winter’s day - but believe it or not, those ruts you’ve just made actually don’t just magically disappear! Hard to believe right? Actually, they grow to the point where they are wheel swallowing monsters and soon that trail you used to love is no fun at all. But, if you’re lucky, a dedicated team of local volunteers may actually cart their tools into the forest and spend their weekends digging and keeping their local trails in as best condition as their small team can muster.
That’s how a pretty typical local trail network might operate. But, the trails at Whakarewarewa forest in Rotorua have grown so much in the last few decades that the sheer number of kilometres of single-track to maintain, would vastly overwhelm that model. Luckily for all of us, the economic impact that mountain biking has on the Rotorua economy has meant that the Rotorua Trails Trust (RTT) has been able to emerge to play a pivotal role in keeping the trails in fine form. However, even for an organisation like RTT, the network is vast and the staff are relatively few. RTT Trails Manager, Damian Clarke, was excited when Bosch (yes think eBike motors and power tools) approached the organisation looking for ways they might be able to work together to create a fun promotion for Bosch whilst maximising the efficiency of the manpower RTT has.
“Bosch approached us wanting to do something for Crankworx, and their idea was something like an ultimate trail-building E-bike. That idea sounded good but the more we thought about it, the more we realised that actually what we needed was a way to transport tools around our network - and particularly, we realised it was about carrying more stuff, more than even a rider could carry on an E-bike,” said Damian. “After a bit of thinking, we thought ‘what about an ultimate trail maintenance trailer?’”.
The idea was born! Soon local fabricator, and all-round bike guru, Jeff Anderson of Jeffson Bikes was involved to get working drawings for a concept, ready for approval. Jeff said that it had been a fun project to work on. “It’s been great to work with the Rotorua Trails Trust, they’ve been been really understanding of the process because with jobs like these - where we’ve never done anything quite like this before - everyone has ideas, but no-one quite knows how it’s going to work out. The funny thing is, that after a few iterations and versions explored, we’ve ended up pretty much right back where we started, but that’s all part of the process.”
During the process of design and review, the decision was made that actually, two trailers would be better than one - but each unique and with a specific role. “We realised there are two quite different parts to trail maintenance. There’s just your regular touch-up, smaller-level maintenance, and then there are the occasions where you need bigger, heavier tools as well,” explained Damian. “So we’ve ended up with two trailers - one single wheel trailer, that is great for taking less tools through tighter, more technical terrain, something we think could go down a Grade 4 trail; and a two-wheel trailer that is suited more to Grade 2 Trails, but could haul at least 50kg of equipment”.
Part of the design process has been to work closely with the staff employed by RTT to build and maintain trails. Casey King is a Trail Builder for Rotorua Trails Trust. Casey was enthusiastic about the new equipment and had his own perspective: “It’s going to be great,” he said. “It’s not uncommon for us to have to haul a lot of equipment around the forest - 20 litre fuel cans for the diggers; sometimes the digger is in the forest and we need a ‘rock bucket’, a claw type attachment for the digger, and that weighs 35kg. To be able to put that in the trailer and ride in to where we are working and just get on with it, is going to save lots of time.” There are also some safety issues that this addresses which will be great for users like Casey. “So often we would just be riding in with tools strapped on our backpacks, and there is a safety issue there,” he explained. “So it’s going to be great to be able to put all our tools straight in the trailer and not worry about that at all.”
All of this has created an interesting design challenge for Jeff. “We have to remember we are still pedalling this in, even if it is on an eBike. It’s that challenge to make it light and strong, and also maneuverable. They are shaped a little bit like a boat, which might look a bit funny, but we hope they can just bounce and slide off the inevitable trees that they will probably clip out on the trail.” Jeff is also keen to be a part of an ongoing process with RTT and see how the concept might evolve. “It’s going to be interesting to get feedback from the users and see how they actually use them and what we can improve.”
Casey also liked the quick removal design, “It’s looking really good - we can unhook the trailer in two seconds. We’ve got our bikes right there with us, so we can actually spend some time riding the section we might have just been working on, to see if we’ve achieved the kind of flow we are looking for - which is great.”
Of course, all of this has been made possible by Bosch, Damian explains. “Bosch have been really generous to us, not only they have paid for the trailer to get made, and have donated literally thousands of dollars of power tools for us to use on an ongoing basis, but they have really listened to us and partnered with us through this whole process, and we think we’ve got a really good, practical outcome to show for it. We’ve also got three Trek E-bikes that have Bosch motors on them, so it’s great to be powered by Bosch all the way."
Bosch documented the entire project and have a video due to release on the 7th May 2020. Stay tuned!
Words: Lance Pilbrow
Images: Cameron Mackenzie
News: Wahoo & Zwift Shred Sessions
With many trails closed, and athletes choosing to ride indoors in order to more easily maintain social distance, Wahoo has decided to help mountain bikers connect with some of the sport’s biggest stars through the Wahoo Shred Sessions series.
The Wahoo Shred Sessions will kick off on May 6th and will continue every Wednesday and Saturday (Time zone dependent) in May, with three times offered throughout each day to ensure that athletes in most time zones will be able to join. Each ride will feature a different Pro MTB rider serving as a ride leader, who will be available to chat with ride participants and ensure that the ride stays at a civil, inclusive pace where cyclists can ride together and commiserate about the challenges facing our community during this unprecedented global health crisis.
“With trails closed in many places, or too crowded to allow safe riding, we wanted to give mountain bike athletes the chance to ride together and socialize in a safe environment,” said Colin Eustace, Vice President of Global Marketing for Wahoo. “For many mountain bikers, this is a special opportunity to ride with some of the sport’s biggest stars -- the kind of interaction that would be singular and memorable, with or without a global pandemic.”
EWS Rider Caro Gehrig said; "When I approached our sponsor Wahoo to organize a single ride for the Enduro World Series riders I never thought a few weeks later we would end up at this and find ourselves with a list of the most decorated riders in the world keen to take part in a whole series! With no racing happening it is an amazing opportunity for the athletes and fans alike to ride together. It's a cool way to stay connected and fit at the same time through these troubled times, I can't thank Wahoo & Zwift enough for providing this virtual meeting ground. I can’t wait to meet some other riders and MTB fans!"
While the weekly rides are intended to be casual and social, the month will conclude with an MTB ‘Royal Rumble’ to give everyone the chance to race each other, just for fun.
Rides leaders will include Troy Brosnan, Brook Macdonald, Noga Korem, Sam Hill, Anita and Caro Gehrig and over 50 other Pro’s across Downhill, Cross-Country and Enduro.
There will be a total of 24 rides over the course of four weeks covering all time zones twice weekly. Complete information on the rides, including a separate list of times in other times zones and instructions for signing up, can be found here.
Other virtual events hosted by Wahoo athletes include Pete’s gravel ride with Pete Stetina, Frodissimo Fridays with Jan Frodeno, and Team Charles-Barclay Track Club with Lucy Charles-Barclay. Complete information on all Wahoo virtual events is available here.