Spoke Magazine

Blowing my own trumpet

Posted by Caleb Smith on Friday December 30 2011

Okay so its not me but it is Supplejack in fact its Laurence Mote on one of the easier corners on a 26Okay so it’s not me, but it is Supplejack. In fact it’s Laurence Mote on one of the easier corners on a 26.

Okay so this isn’t about blowing my own trumpet but more about proving Styli (the Santa Cruz distributor) wrong. See Styli lives in Nelson and Nelson has a tonne of switchbacks. Actually a tonne is an understatement. Anyway there’s a a particular trail called Supplejack (which rules by the way) that has some really tight ones, so tight that Styli thought that a 29er couldn’t make it round them all, especially my XL Tallboy. Now I don’t like getting involved in the pro/con 29er debate, I just know I love my bike and that it fits. So this post is a bit of a friendly middle finger at Styli that an XL 29er can make every switchback on Supplejack (I have an impartial witness). Trumpet blown.

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  • The Alliance

    How about the corner of doom on devils eh Caleb?

    • http://www.spokemagazine.com Caleb Smith

      oh i forgot about the “Corner of Doom”. That has to be one of the hardest corners in the country on any bike. Its up there with Baked Beans in Wellington, except Baked Beans doesn’t have a death cliff on the other side of it…!!!

      • Kelvin

        Have you ridden down the new 629 trail in Nelson on the 29er Caleb… there are a few tight switchbacks on that track…

        • http://www.spokemagazine.com Caleb Smith

          Ill accept that challenge, although i’ve heard its pretty damn step, not sure that i’m up to that gnarl factor, all though the old 629 was great…

          • Kelvin

            I have seen it ridden on a single speed fully rigid so I am sure you can get the 29er down there…

          • Kelvin

            How did you get on with the 629 track Caleb…

  • Ian Goldschmidt

    It was for real he did actually make it! Doesn’t make 29 ers right!

    • http://www.spokemagazine.com Caleb Smith

      Here I was thinking i’d “converted” you Ian!!!

      • Ian Goldschmidt

        only visitors to nelson ride 29 er’s not the locals…. you should know that by now….

  • Mark

    How is that trumpet now Caleb? A little dented?

  • Richard Goldsbury

    I think the trumpet is fine, but his ribs are too sore to blow it now.