Graeme Simpson: The best bike argument

The Taniwha, designed in Rotorua - the best mountain bike ever? Photo/Zerode Bikes

Describing any bike as the best ever is always going to be contentious. Say it on social media and there'll be an incoming firestorm in 3, 2, 1.

A top 10 of all time will result in arguments till midnight. There's even a book titled 1001 Best Bikes. It's a bit outdated now, but I'm pleased to say that two of my bikes - original Santa Cruz Blur and Nomad - are both listed. The Blur is a frame only, now, and the Nomad recently joined it in retirement in the shed.

The best bike I've ever owned replaced the Nomad. The Zerode Taniwha was designed in Rotorua by Rob Metz and was inspired by the Whakarewarewa Forest. The Nomad is a 2007 frame, aluminium with 26" wheels. A fine bike, but riding the Taniwha is like skipping several generations - with a carbon frame and 27.5" carbon wheels for starters. Gaze adoringly at the Taniwha from a distance and it is similar to other contemporary high-end bikes at a similar price point.

Maybe it's a little more beautiful ... The graphics were designed by another local, Gary Sullivan from Nzo, and are simple and elegant.

Get a little closer and the game-changing aspect of the Taniwha unfolds. There's no clutter of a rear derailleur and cluster - just a single cog. All the gear change action takes place between the pedals through a 12-speed Pinion gearbox manufactured in Germany. It's fully enclosed within the frame, so is totally protected from the elements. It requires an oil change and service once every 6 to 12 months and has a 5-year warranty.

The chain is also arrow-straight. This minimises wear and tear; unlike a bike with a rear derailleur with the chain often out at an awkward angle, inevitably diminishing reliability and efficiency.

Surely, this adds overall weight, I hear you say. Well, not as much as you might think. Rear derailleurs and clusters are lighter than the gearbox. However, it's where the weight is focused that makes the difference with Taniwha - low down and right in the heart of the centre of gravity, not flapping around at the back, outside the axle width. My Taniwha weighs only 13.5 kilos.

Gear changes are via a grip shift. It took a ride or two to get acclimatised, but it is fast, smooth and pin-sharp. Going up or down, you can grab a big handful of gears in an instant.

You can even change gear standing at the trailhead having a yarn to your mates. What you can't do is change while the gearbox is under any load at all. I always try to back off when changing gear with a derailleur to put as little stress on the drivetrain as possible, so this is no issue for me.

Six weeks since the bike arrived and some fine-tuning of the suspension and handle bar width and this Taniwha is definitely my Taniwha.

Rob Metz isn't just a very clever engineer and designer, he's passionate about how much better internal gearbox technology is and how much it improves the riding experience. He's also stubborn.

Getting the Taniwha to production was a very long process.
It's definitely been worth the effort. Chapeau, Rob: www.zerodebikes.com.