A cyclist's jewel?
25/08/2010 3:51:00 p.m.
Makara Peak is one of the best mountain bike tracks in the world, according to a travel website. But experienced biker Nick Kemp disagrees.
Seattle born Nick Kemp has ridden mountain bike tracks on the west coast of America, Asia, Europe, and New Zealand, and is unimpressed with our coastal playground at Makara Peak, which was listed as one of the top 10 places in the world to bike, on cheapflights.com.
“I feel it’s a bit easy for advanced riders. It’s more of a family safe riding area and it doesn’t have the facilities for gravity orientated riding.
“Rotorua has tracks with six levels of difficulty so all abilities are catered for. In Wellington, many trails are hard to access and all the council funded trails are tame,” he says.
“I would like to see a graded system [in Wellington] that accommodates advanced riders.”
The half-American, half-New Zealander combines his love of cycling with work. He has been a bike mechanic for five years and works at a bike shop.
“Both my parents are New Zealanders so this country has always been close to my heart,” he says.
His best biking experience occurred in a place that doesn’t even feature in the top 10 list.
He visited the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which is reputed to have the biggest ski area of any in North America and averages 100,000 bikers in the summer. High speed chairlifts shuttle riders 4,000 feet up Whistler mountain, and riders have a choice of 47 trails at all skill levels, totaling over 250km of track.
“That three-day trip was the best. I cycled from 9am to 5pm every day. You get to see everything, there’s a big mix. The ski resort was incredible; you can see snow covered mountains in the distance, lots of trees. It’s awesome.”
Kemp, clearly an adrenaline junkie, has been concussed 10 times, broken his wrist at least four times, suffered nerve damage to his back and received a swollen ankle while cycling but says falls could never put him off cycling.
“You just have to dust yourself off and get back on your bike.”
Kemp has also ridden in Portland in Oregon, Boulder in Colorado, and the French Alps, which all feature in the top 10 list.
“Portland is an amazing city for cyclists. It’s really a culture with people of all shapes and sizes who cycle to work every day.
“Boulder has an awesome landscape, some of the mountains there are massive, and the city centre is also cycle friendly with many bike lanes.
“The thing that I remember most about the French Alps are the hills, these snow capped peaks are everywhere, it’s incredible,” he says.
He also enjoys road riding which you’d think is safer than mountain biking, but he says Wellington streets are a nightmare.
“In Portland you see people of all shapes and sizes riding bikes to work, and families ride together. Here, I almost need to wear armour to defend myself. There are more cycling commuters in Portland as it’s easier. Wellington cyclists face aggressive drivers and a lack of cycle and bus lanes which make it difficult to get space to ride.
“I cycle to work every day and I’m always in danger of getting hit by a car. I have a close call once or twice a week. Two cars have actually hit me since I’ve been [in Wellington]. It’s such an effort to ride a bike that most people just don’t want to,” he says.
Kemp currently rides a downhill bike and feels the key to a good bike is one that “has eight inches of suspension and travels as fast as possible down hill.”
Kemp adds that he has very fond memories of his time cycling around the Wellington region, and one day remains fresh in his memory.
“I started up in Brooklyn Hill, then cycled up to Karori Park, before riding trails in Newtown. I ended up travelling along five different trails in one day. I had never experienced such diversity before,” he says.
Nick Kemp’s Top 5 places to ride in Wellington
1. Long gully: First class downhill riding only 20 minutes from the city centre.
2. Mt Victoria: Fast drying trails on the steeper slopes make for perfect winter riding.
3. Karori Park: Easily accessible mixed use trails.
4. Jailbreak: A recently built trail in Miramar.
5. Ridgeline trail: Makara Peak classic exposed to all of the winter elements – best enjoyed after a week of rain.
Seattle born Nick Kemp has ridden mountain bike tracks on the west coast of America, Asia, Europe, and New Zealand, and is unimpressed with our coastal playground at Makara Peak, which was listed as one of the top 10 places in the world to bike, on cheapflights.com.
“I feel it’s a bit easy for advanced riders. It’s more of a family safe riding area and it doesn’t have the facilities for gravity orientated riding.
“Rotorua has tracks with six levels of difficulty so all abilities are catered for. In Wellington, many trails are hard to access and all the council funded trails are tame,” he says.
“I would like to see a graded system [in Wellington] that accommodates advanced riders.”
The half-American, half-New Zealander combines his love of cycling with work. He has been a bike mechanic for five years and works at a bike shop.
“Both my parents are New Zealanders so this country has always been close to my heart,” he says.
His best biking experience occurred in a place that doesn’t even feature in the top 10 list.
He visited the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which is reputed to have the biggest ski area of any in North America and averages 100,000 bikers in the summer. High speed chairlifts shuttle riders 4,000 feet up Whistler mountain, and riders have a choice of 47 trails at all skill levels, totaling over 250km of track.
“That three-day trip was the best. I cycled from 9am to 5pm every day. You get to see everything, there’s a big mix. The ski resort was incredible; you can see snow covered mountains in the distance, lots of trees. It’s awesome.”
Kemp, clearly an adrenaline junkie, has been concussed 10 times, broken his wrist at least four times, suffered nerve damage to his back and received a swollen ankle while cycling but says falls could never put him off cycling.
“You just have to dust yourself off and get back on your bike.”
Kemp has also ridden in Portland in Oregon, Boulder in Colorado, and the French Alps, which all feature in the top 10 list.
“Portland is an amazing city for cyclists. It’s really a culture with people of all shapes and sizes who cycle to work every day.
“Boulder has an awesome landscape, some of the mountains there are massive, and the city centre is also cycle friendly with many bike lanes.
“The thing that I remember most about the French Alps are the hills, these snow capped peaks are everywhere, it’s incredible,” he says.
He also enjoys road riding which you’d think is safer than mountain biking, but he says Wellington streets are a nightmare.
“In Portland you see people of all shapes and sizes riding bikes to work, and families ride together. Here, I almost need to wear armour to defend myself. There are more cycling commuters in Portland as it’s easier. Wellington cyclists face aggressive drivers and a lack of cycle and bus lanes which make it difficult to get space to ride.
“I cycle to work every day and I’m always in danger of getting hit by a car. I have a close call once or twice a week. Two cars have actually hit me since I’ve been [in Wellington]. It’s such an effort to ride a bike that most people just don’t want to,” he says.
Kemp currently rides a downhill bike and feels the key to a good bike is one that “has eight inches of suspension and travels as fast as possible down hill.”
Kemp adds that he has very fond memories of his time cycling around the Wellington region, and one day remains fresh in his memory.
“I started up in Brooklyn Hill, then cycled up to Karori Park, before riding trails in Newtown. I ended up travelling along five different trails in one day. I had never experienced such diversity before,” he says.
Nick Kemp’s Top 5 places to ride in Wellington
1. Long gully: First class downhill riding only 20 minutes from the city centre.
2. Mt Victoria: Fast drying trails on the steeper slopes make for perfect winter riding.
3. Karori Park: Easily accessible mixed use trails.
4. Jailbreak: A recently built trail in Miramar.
5. Ridgeline trail: Makara Peak classic exposed to all of the winter elements – best enjoyed after a week of rain.
