THE DYNO DOESN’T LIE

I’m riding a narrow ribbon of perfect dirt, off-camber sections punctuated with the roots of the surrounding forest and tight catch berms. We’re moving fast—the trees are a blur like that scene in Return of the Jedi on the moon of Endor.

I’m on the wheel of a local who knows this track like the back of their hand. Normally, this kind of pace on an unfamiliar trail would be death-grip stuff for a rider like me, but right now I’m relaxed and comfortable, able to look ahead and anticipate what’s coming up. My wheels feel as though they’re glued to the ground, yet when I need to get airborne it’s an easy pop. As I land, the impact is absorbed firmly and supportively, without any harshness. No bucking, no bouncing—it’s like I’m riding a magic carpet.

Is this the daydream of a singletrack-starved bike journo? In my case, usually, but not today. Today is different.

We’re at Skyline Bike Park in Rotorua and I’m riding my regular bike, but it doesn’t feel like it—because today it’s been transformed and I’m looking at it in a different light, as though it’s been through an extreme makeover. I’m loving my trusty steed more than ever.

Waiting patiently at the base area is Jono Church, proprietor and Chief