News: Pro Rider List Released for Crankworx Rotorua
Roturua, New Zealand, September 1, 2021: 19 months after it last wrapped, and 6 months after it was originally scheduled to run, the wait is nearly over. The Crankworx World Tour is set to make its triumphant return to its Southern Hemisphere home in Rotorua, November 1-7, 2021.
“I am frothing to be back in New Zealand!” said Vaea Verbeeck, the last woman to wear the Queen of Crankworx crown in 2019. “After being there in March 2020 last, the world turned into a much different place to navigate and Crankworx Rotorua was the last time we lived as per usual. I know it will still be different going back this time, but part of me feels like I’m going back to my happy place.”
"I'm super excited to head back to Rotorua, I always love being there and it somewhat feels like a home away from home for us,” said Bas van Steenbergen, who was in the lead for the King of Crankworx title coming out of the New Zealand festival in 2020. “I'm definitely feeling pretty confident having done well here in the past, so hopefully I can close out the King of Crankworx chase strong!"
“After some challenging times with travel I am really looking forward to getting back to NZ for Crankworx,” said Emil Johansson, who is currently in the points lead for the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship title after winning in Innsbruck in June. The Swedish all-star has never clinched the overall, despite having won every event there is to win at this level of Slopestyle, including the Rotorua event the last time it ran. “I am going to try to do a run that I am happy with and up the run I did 2020.”
Other athletes on deck to wrap their competition season in New Zealand include:
On the hunt for the King and Queen crowns:
· Tim Bringer (FRA)
· Tomas Lemoine (FRA)
· Ed Masters (NZL)
· Bas van Steenbergen (CAN)
· Keegan Wright (NZL)
· Georgia Astle (CAN)
· Casey Brown (CAN)
· Danielle Beecroft (AUS)
· Harriet Burbidge-Smith (AUS)
· Robin Goomes (NZL)
· Kialani Hines (USA)
· Vaea Verbeeck (CAN)
Slopestyle’s Elite:
· Emil Johansson (SWE)
· Nicholi Rogatkin (USA)
· Erik Fedko (GER)
· Tim Bringer (FRA)
· Tomas Lemoine (FRA)
· Torquato Testa (ITA)
· Paul Couderc (FRA)
· Lucas Huppert (SUI)
· Jakub Vencl (CZE)
· Max Fredriksson (SWE)
· Lukas Knopf (GER)
· Tom Isted (GBR)
· Marcel Hunt (GBR)
· Griffin Paulson (CAN)
· Bernd Winkler (AUT) (ALT1)
· Lukas Schäfer (GER) (ALT2)
Top riders, keen to disrupt:
· Tuhoto Ariki-Pene (NZL)
· George Brannigan (NZL)
· Caroline Buchanan (AUS)
· Martha Gill (GBR)
· Mikey Haderer (USA)
· Brett Rheeder (CAN) (racing DH only!)
· Katy Winton (GBR)
The festival will include Pro, Amateur and CWNEXT racing, Kidsworx competitions, and a ticketed venue with all the action Crankworx fans know and love, bringing together the best of MTB for all kiwis to enjoy.
As Crankworx is included on a list of Government-approved events, only those critical to the event, including competing athletes, have been granted entry to the country by Immigration NZ.
With the border still closed to recreational travel, Crankworx Rotorua 2021 will provide a unique opportunity for kiwi fans to get front-row seats to all the action and watch the world’s best face off against their local heroes. From newcomers to keen riders, the event welcomes a wide range of people to get amongst the action and this year kiwis can get closer than ever.
Registration for all Pro, Amateur and CWNEXT events at Crankworx Rotorua is now open, running through October 27 at 11:59 p.m. NZDT: https://www.crankworx.com/athletes/locations/rotorua/info/
The full festival schedule is also now available: https://www.crankworx.com/rotorua/schedule/
Fans from around the world will be able to tune into live coverage of Crankworx Rotorua 2021 on Red Bull TV, including:
- Specialized Dual Slalom Rotorua
- CLIF Speed & Style Rotorua presented by Mons Royale
- Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza
- RockShox Pump Track Rotorua presented by Torpedo7
- Crankworx Rotorua Downhill presented by Gull
Highlights and additional coverage will be available for:
- TREK Official Oceania Whip-Off Championships
- Crankworx Rotorua Air DH
The Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle will be the final event of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC) season and will include the crowning of the Slopestyle World Champion. In addition, as the final event of the Crankworx World Tour season, Rotorua will be where the season’s overall King and Queen of Crankworx will be crowned.
With that, an additional piece of news was released today. Going forward, Crankworx Rotorua will shift permanently to the final stop of the Crankworx World Tour, closing out mountain bike competition season. The local Crankworx team are stoked to host the grand finale of the tour going forward and Rotorua makes the perfect hub for it.
Crankworx Rotorua Event Director Ariki Tibble explains: “While the Northern Hemisphere is wrapping competition season and gearing up for winter in late October and early November, New Zealand is in the thick of spring. The dirt is prime, the energy is high, and the appetite to get out and celebrate is on another level. To be able to bring all this together and share it with our international mountain bike family will be something special. While this year we can’t invite the world to celebrate with us in person to protect the health of New Zealanders, we are beyond thrilled to be able to host some of the world’s top athletes. We look forward to putting on a great show for our local crowds and for fans around the world on Red Bull TV in 2021, and to welcoming everyone back to New Zealand for Crankworx in 2022.”
“Coming back to Rotorua feels like we’re bookending a very strange chapter in our history,” said Crankworx Managing Director Darren Kinnaird. “Things were relatively normal the last time we were all together in New Zealand. The Crankworx World Tour was kicking off as usual in 2020. We had begun to hear whispers of COVID, but it wasn’t until the event wrapped and everyone got home that the world shut down. Since then, as event producers, we’ve had to draw on every ounce of creativity and tenacity that we have. While not always easy, it has paid off. Our athletes have been able to keep competing. The media are still out there shooting and sharing the stories of our sport – a sport that’s progressed at a rapid rate over the past year. And our fans have had something to look forward to and get excited about. Through it all, I am proud to say our team has never stopped pushing for what we believe in: creating opportunities, sharing our passion, celebrating the culture of mountain biking and the places steeped in the sport, and doing it all safely. I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all those who were pushing and cheering alongside us over the past year and a half. We are here, preparing to wrap the final event of a full Crankworx World Tour in 2021, because of you. We’ve got some big things coming, and we can’t wait to share them.”
Get all the details of the 2021 Crankworx Rotorua finale (November 1-7) at crankworx.com/rotorua
Tickets are now on sale at https://www.crankworx.com/rotorua/passes/.
Video: Butters - Skip the gym & go Digging
In between guiding and instructing earlier this year I was lucky enough to be a trail builder on a new Grade 5 trail "Butters". This short film "Butters - Skip the gym & go digging" documents the trail crew experiences building this trail, located in the top of the South Island, Nelson, New Zealand. This trail has been named and built-in memory of Bernard “Butters” Simmonds.
The Trail was co-funded by Santa Cruz Bicycles Pay Dirt fund and Nelson City Council. Special thanks goes to Nelson Mountain bike Club and Ngati Koata trust
It was a real privileged to work alongside such experienced trail builders. Easy trail building services, Ian Phillipps, Martin Strelka, Kurt Lancaster, Digby Shaw and Niklas Louis Hueber
Release: Bosch's 2022 Smart System
Fully connected: The smart system
The interplay of app and eBike components enables an individual eBike experience
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Riding enjoyment through digitalisation on a new level; in everyday life and in leisure time
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Thanks to the eBike Flow app, the smart system connects perfectly coordinated components with the digital world
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The eBike system can also be controlled without an additional display using the LED remote control unit
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Extended range thanks to the PowerTube 750
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In the future, many eBikes with the smart system can be retrofitted with the ConnectModule and will be further protected against theft
The smart system by Bosch eBike Systems - consisting of the new eBike Flow app, control unit, display, battery, and drive unit - ensures an individual eBike experience. The new system generation combines technologically high-quality eBike components with the digital world, taking riding enjoyment in everyday life and in leisure time to the next level. “Digital features and services enrich the pedelec experience and are important enablers for our mobile future in a connected world. With the smart system, we are taking another step towards the eBike mobility of tomorrow,” says Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBike Systems.
An overview of the smart system:
Smart, forward-looking and customisable: The eBike Flow app
Download to discover a uniquely connected experience. The eBike Flow app is the central connection to the eBike and the key to the connected biking experience. Over-the-air updates always keep the eBike up to date and continuously enhance the eBike experience with new, innovative features. The app lets you customise riding modes, record activities completely automatically, and integrate fitness apps such as Apple Health.
Intuitive, innovative, ergonomic: The LED Remote control unit
A fully connected control centre that’s fun to use. The LED Remote can be operated easily, comfortably and intuitively with the thumb. Using different colours, the LEDs indicate the respective riding mode, which is easy to recognise while riding. Also practical for those who want to be on the road without a display when eBiking: The LED Remote is sufficient to control the eBike system and displays the most important information about the eBike, such as the current charge status and support level. The LED Remote is connected with the eBike Flow app via Bluetooth and thus the Internet.
Stylish, robust, clear: The Kiox 300 display
The robust companion on sporty rides. The Kiox 300 display provides a clean eBike look on the handlebar and is easy to read in any riding situation. With the display, all relevant fitness data can be displayed to optimise your training. Through regular 'over the air' updates, Kiox 300 always stays current and thus promises a lot of fun on sporty rides or on the trail, including in the future. The buttonless colour display is controlled via the LED Remote and is connected to the eBike Flow app. Using the display holder, Kiox 300 can be ideally positioned on the handlebar according to the rider's preference.
Enduring, elegant, reliable: The PowerTube 750 battery
The new flagship rechargeable battery for long and challenging rides. The PowerTube 750 offers the maximum range in the current Bosch eBike battery portfolio and is optimally designed for many metres of climbing and even longer distances. The lithium-ion battery can be integrated into the eBike frame and is characterised by a particularly high energy density at a weight of approx. 4.4 kilograms. The PowerTube 750 can be charged to 50% in just over two hours and fully in about six hours using the 4A Charger.
Powerful, dynamic, individual: The Performance Line CX drive unit
The powerhouse among the drives. The powerful Performance Line CX drive unit provides maximum 85 Nm of torque for a natural, dynamic and unique riding experience. In the eBike Flow app, the strength of the support, dynamics, maximum speed and maximum torque can be individually set for the respective riding modes and thus perfectly adapted to your own riding style.
A glimpse into the future: Future optimisation with the ConnectModule
In the future, eBikers will also be able to benefit from further developments in the area of theft protection. eBike models that are ConnectModule ready can be retrofitted with the ConnectModule in the future. This means, for example, that the eBike can trigger an acoustic alarm to deter thieves and, in the event of theft, be tracked in the eBike Flow app. In addition, further functions will follow that can be used with the ConnectModule.
Release: Bontrager Rapid Hydro Pack
The beloved Rapid Pack made better. A larger rear pocket that more easily holds a shock or mini pump and an integrated bladder for even more hydration.
• Larger rear pocket
• Integrated hydration bladder for easy access while riding
• Secure magnetic retention for hydration hose
• Light weight stretch woven material with elastic strap
• Foam back panel for breathability and comfort
• Internal compartments for easy organization
• Middle water bottle pocket centralizes weight while riding
• Right side features compression phone sleeve and key fob
1.5 L Hydration Bladder
Integrated Hydration Bladder adds 1.5L of easy access hydration with a HydraPak bladder and dedicated zippered pocket to securely hold it.
Magnet Magic
Magnets securely hold bite valve in place to it is out of the way while riding but so very close when thirsty.
Carry More
Additional capacity lets you carry more. The larger back pocket holds the HydraPak hydration Bladder and so much more, integrated pump loops make it easy to stash a mini pump or shock pump in addition to 1.5L of hydration
Comfortable Cargo
Forgiving elastic materials, perfectly balanced pockets, and an adjustable belt all add up to hip pack that stows everything you need yet quickly disappears as you start riding.
Centralized Water Bottle Pocket
A secure pocket holds a water bottle in the center of your back to prevent it from swaying back and forth while a pull loop makes grabbing and storing your bottle a breeze.
Organized Internal Pockets
The zippered pocket includes internal mesh pockets, perfect for all your ride and life essentials – tube, repair kit, multi tool, keys, phone, snacks. Keep it all secure and organized.
Ready to Ride
Be ready at a moments notice with a bag that has all of your ride essentials together and ready for even last minute rides. Never not be ready.
Release: All-new SRAM HS2 Rotor
The all new HS2 Rotor is a mountain bike specific rotor designed to improve brake performance while reducing noise and increasing heat dissipation. Featuring a new brake track pattern for increased pad traction and recessed spokes with thermal dissipating paint, the HS2 is a more powerful, quieter rotor with best-in-class heat management.
• Thicker 2.00mm rotor
• Superior heat management (40°C less than Centerline, per Garda test)
• 7% more power
• Available in 6 bolt and Centerlock
• MTB specific
Video: Girl Meets Bikes
Leah Lind-White gives in to temptation while she waits for the bus to go home after work. Steel, sleek, and extra slack, the Honzo ESD is irresistible. Leah hops on board for a night of pure adventure with the ESD. As the sun rises and the work day approaches, Leah accidentally drops her shoe in a mad dash to make it to her train on time. Fortunately, fairy tale chivalry is alive and well, and the ESD is waiting for her at the station at the end of the day, ready to whisk her away on their next adventure.
If Mad Max rode a bike, it would be the Honzo ESD. It’s part Honzo, part monster, and with geometry that inspired the Process X, it’s made for those who want to punish the trails. A steel frame holds a Marzocchi Bomber Z1 fork with 150mm of travel. It’s got strong 4-piston brakes, grippy Maxxis rubber, and a headtube badge that will scare your children at night. This is the Warrior of the Wasteland.
Release: New PRO Bike Tools
Want the pro-rider aesthetic of a clean looking bike, but still want to take the essentials with you? Then the new PRO Smart Cage is the answer to your upgrading dreams. And if you’re wondering what to put in the smart cage, new tools are just the ticket. Plus, we have a new pocket-sized tool for routing internal hoses, cables and Di2 wires.
Smart Bottle Cage
The new PRO Smart Bottle Cage (PRBC0049) combines an adjustable bottle cage with an integrated storage solution. It offers universal bicycle frame compatibility with adjustability in the height and direction of bottle pull. Selected PRO mini tools can slot into the base of the Smart Bottle Cage, sitting behind the bottle, while a mini pump or a CO2 cartridge can be strapped to one side of the cage and two tyre levers can be strapped to the other. A clip-on PRO Storage Pouch can be added below the Smart Bottle Cage to house a spare tube and other small puncture repair accessories.
Workshop items
In PRO’s new tools for 2022 comes 12-speed tools, handy for those new groupsets you’re lusting after, and an internal cable routing tool with compatibility for Shimano’s new EW-SD300-I and EW-SD50 wires.
Four new tools are compatible with PRO’s Smart cage – the PRO Performance 9-Function, 9-Function Tubeless, 13-Function and 17-Function Mini Tool (PRTL0123, PRTL0130, PRTL0131 and PRTL0132) – which allows the tools to slot it into the cage’s housing bracket, so you can forget about it until you need it.
Each tool has a compact design with Allen and Torx keys, and the tubeless tool also includes a reamer tool, tyre plug and a tubeless puncture plug insertion tool. Each bit on the mini tools feature hardened steel tips, for precise adjustments and to ensure the longevity of the multitool.
At the elite end of the range are PRO’s new Team 20-function (PRTL0134) and 22-function (PRTL0133) mini tools. Developed to repair most mid-ride mechanicals these compact, ultra-lightweight and versatile tools feature 12-speed compatible chain tools and a CO2 regulator. Functions include tyre levers and all the steel-hardened Allen, Torx, screwdriver and spoke wrench keys you are likely to need when repairing a mid-ride mechanical. It also boasts a 12-speed compatible chain tool and an integrated tyre lever.
Completing the introduction of new tools, the new PRO Internal Routing Tool (PRTL0150) is compatible with Shimano's new EW-SD300-I Di2 wires and EW-SD50 wires, as well as mechanical shift cables and hydraulic brake hoses. It comes in a durable aluminium construction with a protective storage pouch.
Finally, the new PRO Bike Wall Mount Sport edition (PRAC0237) is a stylish and effective way to store your bicycles at home or in the workshop. The pedal hook and dual wheel cradle design allows you to mount your bike horizontally, at a slight angle, on a wall and store other bikes above or below it. The Bike Wall Mount Sport is universally compatible with all bicycle types, including E-Bikes.
Whichever direction you choose, PRO’s new tool and workshop solutions will allow you to upgrade and outperform in 2022.