Choose your own geometry
We’ve been saying it for a while now, that the line between trail bike and enduro geometry is increasingly blurred. In fact, with all of the adjustments that Specialized introduced you could easily make the head angle slacker and the chainstay length longer on the Stumpy Evo than on the Trek Slash. Or even take the head angle in the opposite direction, the choice is yours. And, in the same way that other brands have followed Specialized’s lead by introducing internal frame storage, we expect to see more and more bikes coming with ever increasing degrees of geometry adjustment… and we’re all for it.
Tommy Wilkinson loves an adventure: he’s taken photos, video and told stories all over the world, organised events (The Naughy Northumbrian) and co-founded the Cheviot Valleys Trail Stewardship.
From flowing singletrack to relentless climbs and steps too steep to even consider riding, the Old Ghost Road has it all. At 53 miles long, this old gold miners’ road is New Zealand’s longest piece of singletrack. The trail runs between the ghost town of Lyell in the Buller Gorge and Seddonville on the West Coast. It is rideable in a day, but when we rode it we made the most of the various huts along the route and turned it into a three-day shift. Getting to spend time away from a UK winter, with friends in the northern part of New Zealand’s South Island, is always a privilege. The fact the Old Ghost Road has only recently become rideable – after a mammoth seven-year resurrection period – and trails such as this don’t really exist in the UK, made it all the more special.
I’d never carried camping gear, water and wine on my bike before, so the novelty factor really was at mach 10. Choosing to take three days to fully absorb the riding and environment, rather than hopelessly chasing Anton Cooper’s ridiculous FKT, meant we could ride the 10km downhill sections, spend an hour swimming in the pools formed by cascading waterfalls and chill out on the climbs. Overall though, the thing I loved most about this ride was the variety of landscapes we passed through, and the incredible, truly breathtaking vistas that would appear through the fast-moving cloud at unexpected moments. Tucking into re-hydrated food, with a dram, and
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recounting the exploits of the day with friends, is kind of what it’s all about for me these days. For an adventure ride that ticks all the right boxes, including quality descending among old-growth New Zealand forest, I’m not sure it can be beaten.
Incredible, truly breathtaking vistas would appear through the fast-moving cloud at unexpected moments