Mountain biking: Rider development programme kicking off

The Rotorua Mountain Bike Club is a very big part of the local trails. Photo/Jason Beacham

How great are those who give up their own time to make our sport better?

All across New Zealand, the Bay of Plenty and in Rotorua, teams of passionate volunteers work on events and trail development and maintenance.

Rotorua is well served with clubs. Attach the name of our city to Descend (downhill), Revolve (women), Association of Triathletes and Singlespeed Society.

The kaumatua of them all is the Mountain Club, one of New Zealand's oldest.

With the Trails Trust (more volunteers working in their own time) taking over construction and maintenance, the club is shifting emphasis to events and rider development and safety. A very big part of this is the First Response Unit, providing rapid medical assistance to downed riders by professional medics.

The club's rider development programme is kicking off in October with community level bike skills, setup and safety sessions.

Feedback from First Response Unit medics and injured rider feedback indicated these were the best to prevent people crashing. First, update your skills and, then, ride within your limits, slow down, scope features, wear body armour and manage your fatigue. It was also felt that these programmes would be good for riders across the age spectrum, probably reflecting the broad rider demographics.

The programme of three weekly sessions will be skills focused and for club members, only. They'll cost $20. Four professional coaches are signed up working under Annika Smail from Let's Ride as lead coach.

The programme is funded by Sport Bay of Plenty.
The Club's Annual General Meeting is on Mondayfrom 6pm, upstairs at the Pig and Whistle on Tutanekai.

You don't have to be a member to attend, but do if you want vote. The club would like skilled, new people to get involved especially in the areas of managing obligations to sponsors, events and administration associated with the rider development programme.
The timing is appropriate.

Eleven years ago, this week, the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships rolled into Rotorua.

Bringing the event to town was driven by the club and committee members went on to be heads of departments on the organising team.

It was a real grassroots operation. That translated into a major success and helped trigger the explosive growth of mountain biking in Rotorua - and in New Zealand, really.

Starting on September 5 the World Championships are in Cairns in Queensland, for the first time in 21 years. Rotorua 2027?

Check out the website: mtbworldscairns.com.au

Rotorua will host a different kind of world championships on Saturday, November 18, the singlespeed variety.

Unlike Cairns there is no need to qualify or even have a singlespeed. Just enter and one-gear the bike for the day.

If you want to be in the draw for one of five seats on a Helibike Rotorua trip to Whirinaki to ride the Moerangi Trail you need to enter by September 1 at www.rotoruasinglespeed.com.