December newsletter - introducing our app, two events remain on the 2021 calendar and more!

16/12/2021

December 2021

Meri Kirihimete clubbies,

2021 is drawing to a close and it seems like we are busier than ever! Before I get into my list of RMTBC stoke, can we please just acknowledge our local pinners who just wrapped up the Crankworx Summer series in Wanaka over the weekend?

Our girl Jenna Hastings walked away with the Summer Series #1 podium step and Tuhoto Ariki took #2. We are just SO proud, not only of them, but all the local crew that got amongst the Crankworx roadie.

My highlight of November was the inaugural Low Key Jr. event. Definitely the cutest event I have ever attended and WOW these kids can ride.

Full summary of the Low Key Jr below as well as the Whaka Watt and the first ever Low Key DH.

Other mentions:
- Two events remaining for 2021. The Low Key Jr and Low Key Super D are next week, both Christmas editions (let's fill the forest with Santas). We also have the final Ladies Social Ride for the year on Thursday.

- We have an app! The crew at Salt + Tonic have made an us an app to replace those pesky membership cards and alleviate the admin side of this volunteer gig. All directions for loading the web app onto your phone are below (app will be available in the AppStore in 2022), .
- Tell us your best riding route. We want to know the trails you love to string together from from family outings to Ferda Girls weekends. Send them to us and publish them on our website.
-‘Make Trails Great Again’ has been started by some keen local trail builders and it has been useful for me to hear how the community wants to get amongst the trail building in Whaka Forest. As I also sit on the Rotorua Trails Trust, I’ve been able to be a conduit for these keen builders. If you'd like to discuss upcoming build opportunities flick me an email.
- Volunteering is cool y'all. In 2022 I'd love more vollies including ride leaders, marshals, social media assistance... You don’t need to join the committee to assist the club. Please get in touch if you have some spare time you can send our way.

Otherwise, I hope you all have a safe and stoke-fuelled Christmas and New Year. I look forward to yarning with you in 2022!!

Clair Scott
Club President

UPCOMING EVENTS
Come one, come all - let's shred together

NB All RMTBC club-managed events will require a vaccine pass for participation.
This allows RMTBC to continue running the rad events while keeping everyone safe.

FREE for club members. If your jr. raced Round #1 please bring their race plate and timing band. For more entry info see our Facebook event.

Also FREE for club members. If you raced Round #1 or #2 please bring your race plate and timing band. For more entry info see our Facebook event.

I would like to be a volunteer for one of these events

Every Thursday
This is a pedal so there will be hills and grade 3-4 trails. Course will be posted a few days before and updates in our Facebook event. Our last ride for 2021 is this Thursday. If you're after an easier group ride check out Revolve Mountain Bike Group including their Sunday Social Rides.

RMTBC Ladies Summer Shuttles presented by Cyclezone
Wednesday 19 January - Round 3
Club members receive a FREE Uplift each night of the Ladies Summer Shuttles! For information see the Cyclezone Facebook page.

Mountain Bike New Zealand National DH Series
Sunday 23 January - Round 1
We are SUPER excited to be hosting the 1st round of the MTBNZ - Mountain Bike New Zealand National DH Series. Our Descend chapter is frothing to get back in the race scene and will no doubt run an epic event.

GIANT 2W Gravity Enduro
Saturday 19 February (short) and Sunday 20 February (long)
Race 1 AND Race 2 have both been postponed until Sunday 10 April and Saturday 14 May respectively so the first but third race is not until February. There's still spots for Race 3 in February so click on through now to enter.

Torpedo 7 MTB National Championships
26-27 February
Entries are now live! Please click on this link to enter the XO and/or DH.

EVENTS JUST BEEN
Coz not everything gets cancelled

Whaka Watt E Bike Enduro Sponsored by Electric Bike Rotorua
Held Saturday 4 December
Whaka Watt is always a good time. In a nutshell, in this event some stages went up and some went down but all stages were grades 3 or 4. E-bikers have the best banter and seeing Laura Roberts take out a win in her first ever event was pretty rad.

Overall Winner Joe Millington Junior Mens Joe Millington Junior Ladies Lily Bayes Open Mens Mitch Armstrong Open Ladies Laura Roberts Masters Men Aaron Baddiley Masters Ladies Ann Hunn

Here's some pics from the day and for more click on through to our Facebook page.

Low Key Jr. - Round 1
Held Tuesday 23 November
The stoke was at an all time high, with chocolate fish from the Cyclezone team at the finish line and some epic custom tees by Gaz at NZO Active for the spot prizes. Click here for more photos. The next event is on Tuesday and it’s Christmas themed! We CAN'T WAIT to see a gaggle of tiny Santas taking over the Challenge block.

Low Key DH
Held Wednesday 8 December
The Descend chapter of RMTBC had their first crack at a Low Key, with the DH version taking place the other Wednesday. Designed as a little something for those riders who love themselves a spot of DH racing. The legends at Mountain Bike Rotorua came to the party with buses provided not only for the participants, but also for a trail maintenance crew the day prior. Run on the Taniwha National DH Trail, each round will run a slightly alternative line, building technicality as the season moves forward.

Did anyone take photos? Email them to us and we'll load onto the Facebook page.

Low Key Super D - Round 2
Held Wednesday 24 November
We were stoked to bring the Low Key goodness for our 2nd round to one of our newest trails in the forest, Mā te wā! Click here for results and here for all the photos thanks to Ann Hunn.

RIDER PROGRAMMES
Sharing the stoke

APPLY NOW FOR TERM 1! Entries close tomorrow!!
13 - 18 year olds
Applications are about to close so need to be made by the rider/applicant in writing by 8pm the 17 December 2021. Riders must write their OWN applications and include their most recent race results. The successful applicants will need to be available to ride on Thursdays between 4pm and 6pm for the whole of Term 1 2022. Criteria and costs (depending on which squad runs in Term 1):

- Race Squad – applicant must have had some racing background, riders will be chosen based on results. $200 cost to rider for a 10 week programme. This is the subsided rate after RMTBC have discounted it by 50% for members.
- Ready to Race Squad – applicant wants to get involved in racing or wants to improve their racing results. $280 cost to rider for a 10 week programme. This is the subsided rate after RMTBC have discounted it by 30% for members.

NB all applicants must be a RMTBC club member. RMTBC reserves the right to amend the type of group should insufficient numbers reaching the required criteria apply. Due to COVID and lack of racing we may change this group to a Ready to Race Development Squad. Email us for more information.

SHARE THE RIDE PROGRAMME UPDATE
We wrapped up this years programme by taking the crew for their first shuttle experience. It was a shame the weather wasn’t great, but this didn’t dampen spirits at all. It’s always a bit sad ending the programme just as we really get to know each whanau and see their progression - not just in relation to their bike skills but also the bonding between the kids and their whanau. It really is such an incredibly special programme to be part of and this year was all the more special with it taking 6 months to actually get through due to the impacts of Covid. We can’t wait to see everyone out on the trails.

"Big shout out to Tak, Jayne, Barb, Katie, Alex, Marcello and rest of the team from MBR who gave up their valuable time to get this awesome programme up and running during these somewhat difficult and trying times.. without a doubt every kid thoroughly enjoyed every session and I would say most of us adults did too...great knowledge passed down to us, learning about the local iwi, the trails, the forest, the names of certain landmarks, all this info was invaluable.... it wasn't all about the riding, riding was the fun part. The kids and adults skill level and confidence got better with every session... So from me and Stevie thank you guys so much....Let's hope you get more funding so that this awesome kaupapa can continue for more years to come."

NEW TECH
Moving with the times we are

There is an app! Before you dive into the AppStore to find it for yourself, at the moment it is a web app that you download onto your phone. The app displays upcoming events, sponsors and your membership status. Member benefits are being added next year, as well as push notifications about upcoming events and notices.

Wanna try it out? Go online app.mtbclub.org.nz and then follow the instructions on how to install it. These screenshots show how it works for Apple phones:

Once you're in there, tap on the Profile icon bottom right and you can renew your membership - that just so happens to be due at the end of December!

FIRST RESPONSE UNIT
Powered by Rotorua Mountain Bike Club

Bike racks generously donated

Shout out to Torpedo 7 Rotorua for their generous donation of a brand new bike rack for the FRU vehicle. Big love also to people who donated other bike racks which we gave to the families of the children involved in the Share the Ride programme so they could get to the forest with their bikes.

Walking to support the First Response Unit
Another big thank you, this time to Doris Bragg and the Freedom Walkers who ran an event earlier in the month and have donated the proceeds, totalling $500, to the First Response Unit. By chance, a member of the group had a blackout near Secret Spot and a medic from the First Response Unit was there to attend to them.

PROUD CORPORATE SPONSORS OF THE FIRST RESPONSE UNIT:

JOIN / REJOIN THE CLUB
Memberships run from 1 January

Memberships expire at the end of THIS month so before you forget, jump on through to our website and sign up for another year or better still, download the web based app (instructions in this newsletter) and manage your membership from there.

There are loads of benefits to being a member including free entry into any of the Low Key events, free first uplift on the RMTBC Ladies Shuttle Nights presented by CycleZone, early bird for Giant 2W Gravity Enduro (offer now expired) etc. For a full list of the benefits see our new website.

SPONSORS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Team work makes the dream work

We’re excited to announce our partnership with Kids Ride Shotgun. For every Shred Til Bed Animal Alphabet Book purchased using the club discount code, Kids Ride Shotgun will donate $10 to our club. Discount Code: MTBROT21

THANKS TO ALL OUR AWESOME SPONSORS
In no particular order Rotorua Lakes Council, Mountain Bike Rotorua, Kids Ride Shotgun, NDuro Events, Secret Spot Hot Tubs, Nzo Active, Graeme Murray Photographer, CycleZone, Rothbury Insurance, Salt & Tonic, Rotorua Economic Development, Pig & Whistle Historic Pub, Ride Rotorua, Peak Safety, BDO Rotorua, Stratco, Spark, Sign Craft, Brand Display, Croucher Brewing, Good Eastern, Bike Culture, Carters Tyre Services, Shout Marketing