Graeme Simpson: Something for everyone

It is just under three months until the first Rotorua Bike Festival.

The event, supported by the Rotorua Trust, was a long time coming _ an annual event having been talked  about for years.

There were hints of what this could mean for the town during the  the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials Championships in 2006 and  Singlespeed Worlds in 2010.

However, if you look at the  February 8-17  programme  on the website (www.rotoruabikefestival.com), this 10-day celebration of cycling will be on a different level and scale.

From the serious to the fun and friendly with a bit of silliness thrown in, the shape of the festival is a tribute to the organisers.

I am involved a bit with media and marketing, but that's child's play compared with putting together a full programme _  that's like herding cats, with  about 20 different events at last count.

There are the headliners such as the Cateye Moonride, which will launch the festival  on the evening of Friday, February 8.

It will be the first time in a  rich 19-year history that this oldie but goodie will be run in summer. Warm night laps _ how great is that?

The 2013 Mountain Bike National Championships are on February 16-17. The cross-country on Saturday will feature junior world champion Anton Cooper and his rainbow jersey.

An exciting new event is on the cards for the second weekend: the Giant 2W Gravity Enduro on Sunday, February 17.

Gravity Enduro is growing like crazy, especially in Europe, and many see it as the future of MTB racing. Starting in town, this is a stage race on some of the Whakarewarewa Forest's best trails. It can be won by anyone _ from cross-country jockey, to big bike bruiser or weekend warrior.

These are the heavyweights and all power to them.

However, just between you and me, the two events to catch  my eye are verging on silly territory.

The Redwoods Coast (or the inaugural NZ Mountain Bike Coasting Championships supported by The Redwoods and Kiwibikes) on Monday, February 11, looks like a barrel of monkeys.

Riders will start at the top of the tarseal on Nursery Road.

"No pedalling, just momentum,'' says race organiser Dave Donaldson.

"Nursery Road is steep and terminal speed _ even coasting _ will be 50km to 60km per hour, so it's not for the faint-hearted.''

At the bottom of the hill, the riders will roll out on to the flat on Long Mile Road.

"Whoever coasts furthest wins,'' Dave adds.

I am thinking of getting our big 1950s tandem out of the shed for this. It is so heavy that it should break the sound

barrier by the gate. It has drum brakes that don't work so it'll be death or glory.

The coast is sure to become a festival highlight over the next few years and Dave might just have a job for life.

Bicycle Speedway will be run by BMX Rotorua on Thursday, February 14, and is what it says on the tin: flat track racing on a short course of two corners and two short straights with lots of elbows-out action. Any bike, anyone. And crashes.