Spoke

Issue 86 Photographer CALEB SMITH Looking back at this photo now is bitter sweet, Not long after taking it, legendary local Squamish trail builder Dave Reid passed away in a white water kayaking accident, If you've ridden a bike in this little mountain town then you've definitely sampled his handy work, I've taken hundreds of photos on trails that Dave and his son Griffin have built over the years, and the legacy that he's left on the Squamish scene will last a very long time, This particular section of trail is the “what would Dave do” line and it seems only fitting that one of Dave's good mates and Squamish local Matt Harris is in the shot chasing down Eiiiot Smith. Rider ELLIOT SMITH & MATT HARRIS Location: Squamish, BC, Canada. Shutter speed: 1/1000 Aperture: f4.0 ISO: 1600…

Rider Charlie Murray Location: Victoria Park, Christchurch. Shutter speed: 1/640 Aperture: f3.5 ISO: 1600 Photographer Jay French This shoot with Charlie came up a week after I had Covid. It was my first experience with “Covid Brain”. On the first try, after we got everything ready, I realised that I had forgotten both the main and the backup memory cards for my camera. We went back for a second try, got set up, and discovered that my flash had discharged its battery in the bag, so we did something else. We came back the next day and finally managed to make it happen.…

Rider Georgie Petrie Location: Lyttleton, Christchurch. Shutter speed: 1/1600 Aperture: f2.5 ISO: 500 Photographer Cameron Mackenzie Keeping things local has been the aim of the game during this long, grey Christchurch winter. By in large, many of the local zones have been shot to death, and with slow trail development, finding new angles is a relentless quest. Breaks in the blanket cloud offer small pockets of crisp winter light and respite, you've just got to be in the right zones when it pops. With the trail network forever growing in the Urumau Reserve, and it being just over the hill, it's proved to be our favourite little photo spot while it's been snow season.…

“The pandemic is over,” US President Joe Biden announced to America in September. That same month, New Zealand dropped almost all its coronavirus health measures … and I tested positive for Covid-19. After avoiding the bug for so long, the irony of the timing was not lost on me. Besides, Biden was wrong: his statement was an expression of national sentiment, not science. At the time more than 400 Americans were dying each day from Covid-19, according to John Hopkins University data. That's about three times the death rate of a bad influenza season in the US. Globally, 3.1 million cases were recorded in the week from September 5-11, according to the World Health Organisation. While that was a drop of 28 per cent, it wasn't the end of a pandemic,…

MICROSHIFT ADVENT-X GROUPSET Less is more with Advent-X groupset. With 10 wellspaced gears from 11-48 teeth, it has all the range you need without the extra weight. The derailleur keeps your chain in check with a ratcheting clutch that disengages with the flip of a switch. Advent-X groupset is light, durable, and won't cost the earth, microshift.com BIRZMAN PACKMAN HANDLEBAR PACK When adventure calls, say “G'Day maaate” with the Birzman Packman Handlebar Pack. Designed as a harness and drybag combo, the Packman sports tough 420D/600D fabric and waterproof 250D Tarpaulin and totes up to eight litres, birzman.com PEATY'S BICYCLE BRUSH SET Rumoured to have been made from the whiskers of Peaty's own moustache, these brushes promise to leave no crevice of your bike un-scrubbed. The four-brush set has waxed beech-wood handles and is precisely bristled…

Those who've been privy to the glory of Wellington's ever-expanding trail network will likely be familiar with our very own Wolverine doppelganger: William “Big Willy” Johnston. Most recently, Willy has been the poster-boy of his own genius here in the capital, as the rightful ambassador of Wellington Enduro Series Underground QR Tracer Racing. The two-week races are the hottest thing in town, and you ought to learn what you're missing out on here in the blustering capital. Young Willy founded WES Underground in an informal fashion four years ago, but it hasn't always been a blazing success. And it's had its fair share of iterations over the years. Since its infancy, though, it has remained true to the simple goal of giving the people what they deserve–a kick-ass enduro race series that…