Rotorua's Lachie and Wyatt Stevens-McNab have a need for speed

Brothers Wyatt (left) and Lachie Stevens-McNab produced impressive results at the Oceania and New Zealand Downhill Mountain Bike Championships. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua is a haven for mountain bikers and many who hone their skills here go on to take on the world's best. For one pair of brothers, that is the dream.

To some people, hurtling downhill on a mountain bike at breakneck speed is a daunting prospect. On the other hand, Rotorua brothers Lachie, 16, and Wyatt, 13, live for it.

The pair have been riding bikes for as long as they can remember. They started with BMX, both attending multiple World Championships as children - Lachie was crowned world champion three times while Wyatt managed second place twice - before turning their attention to downhill mountain biking.

It has quickly proven to be a sport they excel in. Last month, they competed at both the Oceania and New Zealand Downhill Championships in Dunedin. Lachie won the under-17 division for both while Wyatt was third in both.

Lachie said he started mountain biking when he was about 10 and fell in love with it.

"When I was 14 I did my first downhill race, in the NZDH series in Rotorua, and I just loved it. I guess it's the vibe at the races, it's so good, the atmosphere. Everyone's good mates and I just love riding my bike.

"[A background in BMX] definitely helps, just the basic bike skills - jumping, pumping, turning."

He said his double gold medal winning efforts in Dunedin were his best results to date and puts the success down to a heightened sense of confidence going into each event.

"I was pretty happy. My goal was to win national champs, my focus was on that, and I had a couple of national series races the weeks before and went good in those. I felt good on the bike, my confidence was there with how I'm riding.

"I think [confidence] is pretty important because if you're not confident in your riding then you'll second guess the lines and whether you can do something which is never good."

With one of the biggest mountain biking events of the year, Crankworx Rotorua, starting on March 1, Lachie is set to be as busy as ever. He has signed up for the Rotorua Downhill, Air DH, Dual Slalom, Whip-Off and hopes to compete in the amateur Pump Track competition as well.

"I'm super excited for that, I'm doing all the events I can. Last year I got fifth in the under-17 Downhill and second in the Air DH behind another local, one of my mates I ride with all the time, Cameron Beck.

"It's sick having Crankworx here because you see the opportunities in the sport. I want to be that guy that goes to Crankworx on the other side of the world. That's the dream, to go race Crankworx and world cups overseas."

I want to be that guy that goes to Crankworx on the other side of the world. That's the dream, to go race Crankworx and world cups overseas.

Meanwhile, Wyatt has long been nipping at the back wheel of his older brother.

"I can't really remember what made me get into mountain biking at first, I think it was looking up to Lachie when I was younger, I thought it was cool. We're pretty competitive. I ride most days after school with my mates."

He said he was "pretty stoked" with his Oceania and New Zealand bronze medals.

"I really liked both the tracks, one was real gnarly and the other was more flowing with more jumps and stuff. It's way more rocky in the South Island - I think you progress way more if you ride different terrains."

Wyatt has entered the same Crankworx events as Lachie, except for the Whip-Off, in his own age group. Downhill is a sport in which competitors constantly toe the line between success and catastrophe and having suffered several injuries in the last few years his main goal for this season is to stay healthy.

When asked whether the injuries were due to pushing the limit or being unlucky, he said "a bit of both".

"One of the Crankworx there was a secondary school downhill but someone crashed and the bike was still on the track. I hit that and went over and broke my collarbone.

"I'm excited for Crankworx, it's good experience and I get to race with all my mates. It's real fun competing with each other. We always go and watch Crankworx, I want to go around the world racing one day.

"I just need to try not to get injured and keep trying to progress and learn."