Spoke Magazine » makara peak

Spoke waz here, snow time up Makara Peak

Caleb Smith — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:42:48 +0000

After dropping the kids off at school this morning Emma (Spoke‘s original designer and my lovely wife) and I headed up Makara Peak in the SUNSHINE to shoot a few photos. The ride up was insane; the 4WD track was covered in about 2″ of snow from the Missing Link turnoff all the way up, but up top the snow was everywhere, and thick. We hung around for half an hour or so and not a single other person or tyre track was evident. By the time we had wrapped the shoot up the snow had begun to fall again and honestly the descent down North Face was all time, apart from the huge amount of trees that we had to clear off the track due to the weight of the snow. Anyway here’s a few pics from our little Monday morning adventure.

Ridgeline is a personal favourite for both of us but it was obvious from the first bit of slippery downhill rock that it wasn't going to be as fun as we'd hoped.

North Face on the other hand was a barrel of laughs, apart from the vast number of trees bent over the track from the weight of the snow.

YETI 575 25th ANNIVERSARY VIDEO REVIEW (PART TWO)

Caleb Smith — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:01:46 +0000

Issue 41 of Spoke was posted out to subscribers yesterday and the Zinio copy is live now, so here is the video review of one of issue 41′s test bikes, the 25th Anniversary Yeti 575. We’d dropped the text in the middle of the video, until we received a bunch of complaints, so the text is back and with a very fitting new song. You can read the full review in issue 41, a digital subscription is just $12 over on Zinio and that’s a pretty cheap way to read a year’s worth of Spoke.

If you don’t like the look of this bike then there is something seriously wrong with you…

For the 25th anniversary model and the 2011 line there have been a number of changes to the 575, mostly out the back. ISCG tabs are now standard and the chain stays are now a stiffer boxier aluminium section. The carbon seat stays remain, but now you can run a 12 x 142 thru axle or a standard QR. Yeti’s close relationship with Fox ensures a perfectly dialled rear shock (as always).

Yup, 25 years of bad ass bikes (and sweet welding too).

Up the front Yeti have gone to a tapered steerer for the 575, increasing the weld surface for the down tube and helping to stiffen things up a bit more. Honestly it would have to be one of the raddest looking head tubes we have seen!

And the fork!!! It’s almost worth owning the bike just to get a Float in Yeti Turquoise!

Specialized Pitch Comp Video Review

Caleb Smith — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:55:08 +0000

Issue 40 of Spoke (due out soon) features a full review of the 2011 Specialized Pitch Comp. Right here you can check out the Pitch in action being ridden by Spoke reviewer Mark Dangerfield at Makara Peak in Wellington, NZ.

Wellington's underground super d

Caleb Smith — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:59:37 +0000

Looks like today is Super D Thursday as we just got word that that Wellington’s legendary Underground Super D series is back. Surprises will abound; as always all we can tell you is the date and time for each event (although it may pay to keep your chain breaker handy). The first is set for Wednesday the 24th, top of Makara Peak for a 7pm race start. Feel free to bring a couple of beers to help with post race analysis. Dates for the remaining rounds are Wednesday the 1st, 8th, 15th, race start 7pm, venues to be announced.

MAKARA PEAK'S NORTH FACE IS ALL GO

Caleb Smith — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Personally I’m in two minds whether there actually needs to be another track from the Makara Peak summit but as of the 25th of September the WCC have approved the construction of this new trail. Rumour has it that North Face might actually have berms. It starts at the Trickle Falls entrance and heads along below Ridgeline on the… north face… and then meets back up with Ridgeline Extension at the picnic table. Check the Makara Peak site for more details and track working bees.

MAKARA PEAK HELMET CAM WITH AARON AND HARRY

Caleb Smith — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:56:50 +0000

So this clip is way too long… But for those that don’t live in Wellington this is probably the most popular ride there is at Makara Peak, it’s the grand traverse, up to the top and down Ridgeline. 100% singletrack the whole way!!! This is the second clip I’ve made with the VholdR from www.revolutionproducts.co.nz. The camera itself is amazing but the mounting needs a little tweaking which I’m working on right now, once that’s done I should be able to offer a tonne of other angles. Riders in this edit are Aaron Young on the Cove and Mark Dangerfield on the Nomad.

T REX + CARBON BLUR XC = SPOKE PHOTO SHOOT

Caleb Smith — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:27:59 +0000

Oli Brooke-White sent me a text the other day letting me know that 2009 NZ Singlespeed Champ and all round nice guy Tim Wilding was going to be in town. We rendezvoused on Sunday morning for a quick shoot and got a few pics in the bag.

That SS tattoo

Tim was in town to pick up his freshly built Santa Cruz Carbon Blur XC, which is insanely light and built with some amazing bits, like these crazy Rotor Q chain rings (kind of like bio-pace).

Tim's deadspot elminiating Rotor Q rings

Tim Wilding on Salvation