Graeme Simpson: Local singlespeed legend defies gravity

2010 Singlespeed World Champion, Garth Weinberg. Photo/Blue Dog Media

There's a reason why Garth Weinberg is known as The Alien.

The Rotorua singlespeed, mountain bike legend seems to defy both gravity and the laws of biomechanics.

Year after year he's competed in mountain bike racing at the very top level against talented riders on fully geared bikes. Or road races, like round Lake Taupo, on a Raleigh 20 with a triangular orange flag fluttering on the aerial at the back.

Garth was, without the slightest shadow of a doubt, the inspiration for the establishment of the Rotorua Singlespeed Society late in 2007.

Over the following decade the society has organised three New Zealand singlespeed championships, an Anzac championships and two world championships in 2010 and another this November 18.

Garth has multiple tattoos for winning New Zealand and Australian singlespeed champs. However, the one that really counts is for world champion in 2010.

The team had quietly hoped he'd do it. The way it played out couldn't have been scripted. A race-long, head to head duel, with pro rider and 2009 singlespeed world champ Ross Schnell.

From the race village at Waipa you could hear the cheers from a very big crowd at the stream crossing just over the bridge into the forest.

At the end of the third and final lap Garth came over the bridge just ahead of Ross, shotgunned a beer in the village and crossed the line to win, collapsing in a heap.
His family embraced him and there may have been some tears. It was a wonderful moment.

There was a southern hemisphere double with Australian Heather Logie winning the women's category. Everyone else was second equal.

There will be at least two previous champions on the start line. Gath and another Kiwi, Tadeas Medjr who got inked in Melbourne last year.

This event changes hands each year following a series of competitions. In 2010 the final was horizontal bungee between Ireland and South Africa.

This was decided by the width of a beer can in favour of the Irish. South African honour was restored in Ireland a year later when they won hosting rights for 2012.

The United States has hosted the most times and both Australia and New Zealand, twice. Other host nations have been Wales, Germany, Sweden, Scotland, Italy and Japan.

So far, Bend in Oregon, US, and Canada have thrown down the gauntlet for 2018.

Bike shop owner David Marchi is bringing a big team from Bend who'll be doing some bike touring while in the country.

There's no qualification required to enter this world championship in your own backyard though a sense of humour helps.

In 2010, quite a lot of the Kiwis in the race field single-speeded their bikes for the day. Talk to your local bike shop.

To get a one-off, collector's T-shirt designed by Gary Sullivan from nzoactive.com you need to enter before October 1 at www.rotoruasinglespeed.com

Any profits are being donated to Lifeline.

The Nduro Event's Whaka 100 is a month away on Sunday, October 22.

A metric century on a high percentage of the trails in the Whakarewarewa Forest Mountain Bike Park with a monumental amount of elevation may be a tough challenge.

However there are limited entries and they are selling out at whaka100.co.nz.