Hello,

Yes, it's November and it's BikeFest month! Good luck to all the guys and girls taking part in the events and festivities. There are events for everyone - from beginners to elite riders, so get out there and give it a go! programme also atached

BikeFest 2011

Saturday 19 November to Sunday 27 November 2011

Saturday 19 November

10.00am NZDH Championship Series (Round 4 practice). Downhill mountainbike competition, Mt Tauhara.

Sunday 20 November

9.00am NZDH Championship Series (Round 4 Finals), Mt Tauhara

Tuesday 22 November

9.30am Womens' Mountainbike ride in Craters. Meet at The Hub Cafe. Casual ride, ideal for beginners.

Wednesday 23 November

10.30am "On Your Bikes Little Tikes" @heart charity fundraiser for preschool children. To be held at all participating Taupo District childcare centres. 

5.30pm BMX Club open night. Beginners welcome. Come and have a go (bikes and helmets available). 5.30pm registration, 6.00pm racing. Crown Park.

Thursday 24 November

9.30am Mums and Bubs on bikes with Katey from Top Gear Cycles. Meet outside Top Gear Cycles.

4.00pm Airbag - BMX freestyle display, Tongariro Domain

5.30pm Velodrome Competition, all grades from 6.15pm, Owen Delaney Park.

Friday 25 November

8.30am Hardcourt Bike Polo tournament - "Taupo Tap Out" to be held at the Waiariki Polytechnic tennis courts 8.30am to 4.00pm

12.00pm Airbag - public freefall. Have a go at "free falling" from a scissor lift onto a huge air bag! Tongariro Domain.

2.00pm Contact Huka XL familiarisation ride with members of the Taupo Mountainbike Club. Meet under the large "trout" on Tongariro St.

4.00pm Unicycling demonstration and "Have a Go" - Tongariro St.

4.00pm Mainstreet Jam - BMX Freestyle competition, Tongariro St

4.00pm C.A.T. - Cycle Active Taupo (school aged cycle training), Tongariro St

6.00pm Elite Road Cycling Races: Start/Finish Tongariro St. Featuring NZ's top men and women road cyclists.

Saturday 26 November

9.00am Airbag - public freefall, Tongariro Domain

Sunday 27 November

10.00am Great Lake Taupo Pump Champs, Spa Park

10.00am Airbag - public freefall, Tongariro Domain

Check out the BikeFest website www.bikefest.co.nz for more information on any of the above events.

Bike Taupo AGM

The Bike Taupo AGM will be held on Monday 14th November at 7.30pm at the Mole and Chicken 40 Taharepa Rd (Hilltop Shops). We will provide some snacks and fingerfood. Please feel free to join us for a drink afterwards - it will be great to see you all there.

Marshals Wanted for Contact Huka Challenge 

Bike Taupo is looking for marshals to help out with the Huka Challenge on Saturday 26th November. If you are keen to help out please contact Pete Masters on 027 497 7832. Money raised from this event will go towards track maintenance so get in behind a great cause!

Track Maintenance

 To help us maintain our tracks, please let us know if you see any of the following when you are out and about on your bike:

• Trees down or slips over tracks
• Stock or horses (with or without riders!) on bike tracks at Craters

We would rather have 20 emails about an issue on one of our tracks than none, so please don't hesitate to get hold of the track crew if there's something we need to know. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or text /phone Pete on 027 497 7832. Emailing us saves us a heaps of time and protential track damage.

Hard Court Bicycle Polo 

Hardcourt Bike Polo Tournament

Friday 25th November "Taupo tap out" held @ Waiariki Institute of Technology courts 8.30am to 4pm. 14 teams from Australaia. The final will be played on Tongariro Street @ 5pm.

Social Court Bike Polo

Great fun, helps with your bike handling skills and balance. No age or skill limits and very social, so come give it a go. Bikes and mallets supplied, just bring your helmets and beer (if you're over 18). Please note - we do not play polo in the rain or in high winds.

Sunday afternoons 2pm @ Waiariki Institute of Technology tennis courts - Cnr of HeuHeu and Kaimanawa Streets. Just turn up and have a go. Please email Nigel if you want any more info.

Urban Jungle

After School Programme

At the Taupo Events Centre. This is back in full swing, with 8 Lion Foundation funded bikes from Top Gear Cycles to take to the park and trails. Contact Events Centre: 376 0350 for information.

Bikes and Helmets

Bikes and helmets are still needed, please.

Clean out your shed and get rid of your old gear! We need any old bikes or helmets for kids to use on our programmes. We will find great homes for them. It does not matter if the bike isn't in working order. Contact Cath Oldfield 07 376 5216.

Taupo Dirt Jump Park

The Taupo Dirt Jump Park Crew are still looking for sponsors and volunteers to help make the park a reality. The park will be located next to the Pump Track at Spa Park. If you are keen to help out please contact Cath Oldfield 376 5216.

Trials

A site has also been allocated next to the Pump track for this. Watch this space...

BMX

Club rides

Wednesday evenings at Crown Park BMX Track. Registration from 5.30pm with racing starting at 6pm.

Come and give BMX a go – BMX bikes and helmets can be hired at the track for a minimal rate.

Training Sessions 

Training for all riders with a BMXNZ license will be held Mondays at 5.30pm at the BMX track, starting Monday 31st October. Gold coin donation. Check the website for more info.

BMX World Champs

The World Champs are coming to New Zealand in 2013 and will be held at Vector Arena in Auckland. Good luck to all the local riders who are hoping to qualify for this event.

Unicycling

Have A Go!

Unicycling Demo and Have a Go -Friday 25th November, 4pm, Tongariro St. Part of BikeFest. This will be followed by a unicycling trials demo on Saturday 26th November on the Tongariro Domain.

Unicycling National Champs

The national champs were held over Labour Weekend in Taupo. There were 32 competitors from around New Zealand and a few from overseas. Some of the events included high jump, long jump, trials and racing. Check out the results on the Taupo Unicycle Riders Facebook page.

More info on unicycling.

Taupo Mountain Bike Club

AGM

Thursday 17th November, 6pm, Plateau conference room. Coffee and cake provided. Come and support your club and get involved!

Mid North Island Cup Cross Country Series Race #1

The series kicks off with race 1 at Craters MTB Park - Wairakei Forest - on Sunday November 6th. Registration at 9am and racing starts at 10am.$20 members, $25 non-members. 

For more info and other series race dates go to the MTB club website.

Working bees

If you're keen to help out with track maintenance contact Brendon. Phone 07 378 5508 ex 1. 

Marshals

Race marshals are always needed for local events. If you are keen to get involved contact Jane Saunders 07 377 2573 or email Jane

See Taupo MTB website for general information.

Taupo Cycling Club

Sunday Morning social rides

These rides leave from outside Farmers, Tuwharetoa Street (Next to McDonalds drivethru) Taupo. Start time is 8am sharp! There are now 2 groups available, a slower group with average speed 20-25kmph distance approximately 40-50km, or faster group, average speed 26-30kmph, distance between 70-100+ km. We will regroup at designated points along the way. Please remember to bring 2 water bottles, food, spare tube & pump and most importantly some $ for a coffee at the end of the ride!

Spring Race Series 

Tuesdays. Racing starts at 6pm sharp @ the Taupo Motorsport Park. The perfect training and racing environment as there is no traffic, plenty of room and 3.5km of smooth seal to ride on. More info here.

Wednesday Velodrome Racing

The club runs a low key cycling program that caters for all levels, on the velodrome at Owen Delaney Park. Racing starts at 6:00pm every Wednesday night. We have 14 bikes that are available for free to all members of TCC . Sizes are varying between 49cm and 58cm – you need to bring helmet, pedals and shoes.

Snippets

Top Gear Cycles is Moving!

Top Gear Cycles is moving to their bigger, brighter and brand new shop in Suncourt on Tamamutu Street, next to Mitre 10, next week. Same friendly crew and great service, so head on in to see Mark and the team in their new digs!

The Redwoods

Check out this phat flick made by some pretty talented young riders in the Redwoods. vimeo.com/27963832 Well worth a look!

Danny MacAskill - "Way Back Home"

Here's another one with some pretty amazing trials riding set against a stunning Scottish backdrop - Way Back Home 

Ride Central Park NZ

A hilarious journey riding around Central North Island

Events

2011 NZ Downhill Series #3 (Hi-Roller)

Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th November - Panpac Eskdale MTB Park - Hawkes Bay MTB 

Great Forest Rogaine

Saturday 12th November - Whakarewarewa Forest, Rotorua.

Get together a team and come along to this fun event which you can do on foot (walking or running) or on a mountain bike. Challenge yourselves to collect as many checkpoints you can while getting to explore lots of different parts of this great local forest. 

Teams can consist of 2 to 4 people. There will be both 3 and 6 hour event options. Perfect practice for future adventure races or if you just want to have a good fun day out with some friends!

For more information check out www.obop.org.nz or email Darren Ashmore at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Mid North Island Cup Cross Country Series Race #2

Sunday 20th November - Cougar MTB Park, Tokoroa 

Huka Challenge - Taupo

Saturday November 26th - An honest 80 km MTB or relay option.

Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge (Road)

Saturday November 26th - Solo or teams a great ride around Lake Taupo

Great Lake Taupo Pump Champs

Sunday November 27th @ Spa Park Pump Track from 10am.

Mid- North Island Cross Country Race #3

Sunday December 4th - Panpac Eskdale MTB Park - Hawkes Bay MTB

Mid - North Island Cross Country Race #4

Sunday December 11th - Whakarewarewa Forest - Rotorua - Rotorua MTB

MTB Rogaine and Cycle+Seek

Sunday 29th January - Panpac Eskdale MTB Park - Hawkes Bay MTB

2012 NZ MTB Cup (DH & XC)

February 24th - 26th - Panpac Eskdale MTB Park

Merida Karapoti Classic - 20k/50k

Saturday 3rd March - Upper Hutt www.karapoti.co.nz

and just in case you've got some reserves after doing the Karapoti... 

Karapoti Perverse Reverse - 50k

Sunday 4th March - Upper Hutt www.karapoti.co.nz

If you have any biking news for the next newsletter please email Shorty - or call 021 707 02

The Bike Taupo Crew