MTB: Construction underway on Rotorua mountain bike trails

Construction has begun on several specialty mountain bike trails on the side of Mt Ngongotaha, in preparation for Crankworx Rotorua.

Crankworx is the world's largest mountain biking festival, to be held in Rotorua from March 25 - 29, featuring the world's best pro-riders as well as competitions and concerts.

The Crankworx trails are being built by Rotorua locals, Empire of Dirt duo Adam King and Chris Martin, together with Extramile's Tom Hey and professional Kiwi slopestyle rider Kelly McGarry, at Skyline Rotorua's Mt Ngongotaha site.

The site will include a Downhill line - called Hell Track - a Pumptrack, Speed and Style and a Slopestyle course.

"It feels good to start turning over the dirt after a few months of anticipation and planning," explained King.

"We're aiming to build trails that challenge the world's best riders as well as provide excitement for the thousands of spectators in attendance.

"What's unique about these trails is how good the dirt is. Overseas riders will also be blown away by how enthusiastic the New Zealand mountain biking community is to have such a high-profile event here."

Rotorua's rich history of volcanism and geothermal activity ensure the majority of the soil in the town's mountain biking areas have the perfect balance of 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay, meaning it is both easy to dig up and compact down again.

Once completed, the world-class downhill trail will feature big jumps, steep sections and gnarly off camber runs. Riders will take between 2:40 - 3:00 minutes to get from top to bottom.

The Downhill trail starts on Ngati Whakaue Tribal Land's airstrip at the top of Mt Ngongotaha and finishes at the bottom of the Skyline Rotorua property, while the Pumptrack will be located in the top carpark area.

The Speed and Style track starts about 200m up the hill and finishes at the same location as the downhill track. All trails are due for completion by early March 2015.

The Slopestyle track is being built by Extramile and building will start from mid-January to February, with Queenstown pair Hey and McGarry coming up to build the specialist course.

The week of Crankworx Rotorua will include a range of events, including the Australasia Whip Off Champs, Rotorua Pump Track Challenge, Dual Speed and Style, Downhill, Crankworx Rotorua Enduro (as part of the Enduro World Series) and the kickoff of the Crankworx Triple Crown of Slopestyle.