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    • Six Corners - Stella Pratt
      • The Six Corners Challenge is a self-supported bikepacking challenge connecing the six rideable corners of Golden Bay in 36 hours. Riders get to choose their own direction, just as long as they hit every one of the corners. Stella managed to complete the ~460km in under 29 hours, read about her experience below! The weekend started with an alarm at a delightful 5:20am on Saturday, a quick scramble into my gear, scoffing down some breakfast and rolling out the door just in time to join the sea of bikes congregating in the middle of Takaka. With a quick briefing and a vague shout of “go” we were off, I made a quick detour into the bushes of the local park to stash a bag of food for later before joining into a line of blinking red lights snaking its way out towards Tōtaranui. As we hit the first proper climb to get over to Tōtaranui I felt some envy towards the people powering past me on their light gravel bikes but these feelings were quickly resolved as we started heading down the hill and I was able to fly past all the gravel bikes timidly picking their way down the loose gravel road. With daylight in full swing and the first corner ticked off I was filled with excitement for what lay ahead. At the turnoff to the Rameka track I parted ways with the other riders who had opted to head up the Cobb first then back down the Rameka track. To me going up seemed to be the logical decision given the slow technical nature of the track in either direction. Shortly after starting the grind up a rather steep gravel road towards the singletrack, the first shower of the day decided it was time to make an appearance. Initially I was unbothered, it wasn’t a downpour or anything crazy and I was more than warm enough slogging up the hill. It was once I hit the single track that I realised the little shower was doing a great job at getting the roots and rocks slippery enough that they needed that extra dash and hop to get over them. It was mostly enjoyable to have some technical sections to challenge myself on even if it was rather exhausting. Near the top I misjudged one hop up a rooty drop and ended up falling sideways into a tree. I quickly gave myself a checkover, told myself off for being a silly goober and got back on the bike to arrive at a misty second corner. After a quick refuel and water topup at the Canaan Downs, it was a nice roll along the tops to get to the main road and the peak of the Takaka hill. From here I started seeing a train of people who had hit the Cobb as their first corner all chugging up the hill as I bombed down the road. This quickly flipped and I was the one chugging it up the hill as I turned up the Cobb valley. The ride started pretty peacefully beside the river and I was stoked for a cruisy and scenic climb up the valley but after passing the power station I discovered the road had another side of it yet to show off. The road quickly cranked up the hill and it was a slow haul 800m up into the clouds, I now see why people wanted to hit this climb first! From the top there was a quick descent down to a rather ugly dam holding back the Cobb lake but once I turned around to head up to the Trilobite hut I was taken aback by the stunning hills and bush, definitely wanna come back and spend some more time here one day! Once I hit the hut I had to dodge the sandflies while I quickly tucked into a rather sweaty burrito, but I didn’t let that put me off; the kick of the red onion was exactly what I needed at that moment. As I left Trilobite Hut and embarked on the journey out of the Cobb I realised I was making pretty damn good time, I was even ahead of my target pace which was rather unexpected. For the whole descent I was flip-flopping between pushing hard to make it to Takaka by 7pm for a hot meal or sticking to my original plan and food drop. Eventually I decided it would be silly to blow out right before nightfall so I rolled into Takaka around 7:30 but to my surprise the fish and chip shop was only just closing up and they let me sneak one last order in! This stop ended up being an extended break as I took a full reset, oiled up the bike, had a quick stretch and topped up with some goodies from my stash bag. It was here I had a bit of a mental reset and thought about how the ride had been so far, I’d already done about 200km and a majority of the climbing and I was surprisingly feeling great! Maybe the legs' cries for help were just being shunted out by the fish and chips and the buzz I was feeling about to ride into the night, either way I was on a high. I was soon rolling out of Takaka chasing a couple blinking red lights which I chose to chase down in favour of having a chat with some other riders. I soon caught up and discovered fellow Wellingtonians who I’d seen around before. This was a massive start to the night, being able to have some good chats and reflect on each other's choices through the day. I soon left them as they ducked into their accommodation for a rest and some food and I was rolling across the flats up to Cape Farewell (my fourth corner). This was a pretty uneventful section, although I did stop to use a toilet at one point and shined my light straight at a ginormous cluster of sleeping sandflies, I quickly opted to use the longdrop in the dark out of fear of waking them from their peaceful slumber. Leaving Cape Farewell it was time to start up some podcasts for the night to keep me entertained as I stared at a dimly lit circle of gravel road for the next however many hours. I had a quick chat with another rider who had already smashed out 5 corners and just had the Heaphy to go, absolutely bonkers effort from him! This was fairly short-lived and after the turn off to Anatori I was alone with my podcasts, just waving at the occasional rider who zipped past in the opposite direction. I’d heard a lot of chatter about this being a slog of a corner to get to as it’s 50km to Anatori from the turn off and there’s endless little ups and downs. I think having my expectations set low was beneficial as I just got stuck into it. I was potentially pushing a bit harder than planned as I got consumed by the mission vibes of riding through the night. This definitely led to me getting pretty hungry but feeling pretty sick of constantly eating food. Finally I rolled down the last hill into Anatori, pleased to have hit the 5th corner and completed the first half of the trek to nowhere! I knew I needed to get some proper food onboard before the ride out of Anatori so I parked up on the side of the road for a good feed. My second sweaty burrito was not such an enjoyable experience as I was properly struggling to keep food from coming straight back up. The whole way out of Anatori it became a balance of eating enough to fend off the bonk while not pushing my gut too far and feeling even worse. The tiredness really started to settle in on the return leg, I was still listening to my podcasts but I couldn’t tell you what they were about. I was just listening to people talking. The moon tried to make an appearance between the clouds but it was not winning that battle, I managed a few glimpses of some silhouetted estuaries but nothing near the views of this apparently beautiful area that I was hoping for. Around 5am I made it back to the main road and headed for the turn off up to Brown hut. This was definitely a pretty big low, feeling tired and unsure if I had it in me to get through another 100km. My hope was that the sun would come out and all would be well for the last few hours. When the sun came out it potentially did the opposite, making me realise just how grim I felt and pushing motivation to an all time low. I had to do something about this otherwise I was gonna deteriorate FAST; I pulled over, scranned a whittakers slab and queued up some techno bangers. This was definitely the move as I was soon blasting and bopping my way up towards the Brown hut with unrivaled motivation. I came to the realization that what I’m doing is damn hard but I can do it and prove I can do damn hard things. Having ticked off the final corner there was just one last leg back to Takaka, so doable! I decided if I gave it all I had I could make it back in under 29 hours which would be an unreal achievement. As I sped out of the valley I passed the Langford Store just as they opened and I couldn’t resist stopping for a cold drink. I downed two cans of coke and an icecream (a pretty naughty breakfast) while having a lovely chat with the store owner. From there it was smooth sailing, I was squeezing every last bit of energy outta the legs while constantly checking the time and watching the kms tick down. With an effort that I’m unbelievably proud of, almost perfect weather and zero issues with the bike, I pulled up to the Roots Bar in Takaka at 10:54am for a total time of 28 hours and 54 mins out riding!

    • Shaky Isles - Stella Pratt
      • The Shaky Isles Challenge is a self-supported bikepacking route that crosses the length of the country. The route is gravel focussed, and takes in some of the countries most challenging and remote terrain. Stella recently took on the South Island portion of the route, and has captured the experience below More

    • Wellington Bike Swap and Show & Shine
      • Nothing warms our hearts more than shiny bikes, old bike parts, and coffee ✨ Our third annual Bike Swap was bigger and better than ever, and validated the work that goes into organising these events. 20 tables full of parts meant there was something for everyone, and the Show & Shine was a great opportunity to show off some of Wellington's tidiest rides. We love new bikes and the latest technology, but sometimes a return to simpler times is what's really needed to get us excited about bikes again. 10 speed SRAM X0 derailleurs nestle up against carbon S-Works handlebars, retro embroidered saddles tempt you over top-end Fox suspension, and $10 Rapha jerseys cut through the noise and convince you to part with your hard-earned cash. What's good isn't necessarily what's desirable, and what's desirable isn't necessarily good. And if second-hand bike parts weren't enough, then the fleet of Show & Shine bikes were on hand to win over the coldest of hearts. Custom built track bikes competed for attention with restored Raleigh Dragsters, and immaculate vintage mountain bikes fought to be noticed amongst a sea of heavily patinaed 26" pub bikes. The only consistent element was the level of thought that had gone into all of the bikes, and none of the bikes ever risk being mistaken for anyone else's. Congratulations to Chris and his Centurion for winning Best In Show, Jord and his Orange for winning Best Vibes, and Pat and his Crowe Rishworth track bike for winning People's Choice! Winter can be a tough time to get excited about bikes, and this event aims to serve as a highlight in an otherwise cold and wet time of the year. It's an opportunity to not only find some cheap parts and accessories, but is also a chance to catch up with a community that we otherwise won't see until the summer riding season. As always, a big thanks to Coffee Supreme for helping us keep everyone caffeinated, and Clyde Quay school for allowing us to use their fantastic hall. Until next year!

    • "Psycho Crossing" - Emma Bateup
      • Emma has done more big missions than most and her latest "Psycho Crossing" had her challenging herself in new and increasingly exciting ways. Emma has done us the favour of capturing the experience, don't worry if it doesn't inspire you to try it yourself! "When Jacob first mentioned his idea for the Psycho Crossing to me, I wanted in immediately. Riding to, carrying bikes across the Tararua Southern Crossing, and riding home. It sounded right up my alley. As the week drew closer, I started worrying about being able to keep up, there was going to be a lot of time on foot, especially going downhill, which my uncoordinated feet aren't great at. I wished I'd done some recent practice walking with a heavy pack, but it was too late for it now. Our team lost a few members in the final week and by the time Friday rolled around it was just the three of us: Jacob, Karsten, and I meeting at 6pm, excited and nervous. We rolled out and Jacob set a good pace up and over to Porirua where we stopped for dinner, agreeing that maybe we'd slow down a tad. We made our way up the coast as darkness fell, enjoying the smooth cycleways before turning up towards Otaki Forks. The moreporks were out in force, Jacob chatted back, and I unsuccessfully tried. We reached the trail around midnight and set about dismantling and attaching our bikes to our bags. At the time we (I) teased Karsten for taking longer to pack everything up, but it quickly became apparent that his setup was pretty bombproof and ours required tinkering with well into the next day. We set off up the hill and my calves were instantly sore, walking with a weight was harder than I remembered, and I realised how much slower than the others I was on foot. I made sure I ate heaps of snacks, knowing that my endurance would keep me going, it just wouldn't be fast. Jacob stopped a few times to change how his bike was strapped on, so I took the opportunity to get ahead. Unfortunately, this meant clearing all the cobwebs across the trail with my face. On the few downhill sections of trail, I was tripping on the bottom of my bike, but with the trail mostly climbing I decided to leave a change in position for the next morning. We reached Field hut after a couple of hours and stood outside talking quietly as we unpacked, as to not wake anyone up. After what seemed like ages, we thought to actually check to see if it was occupied. Upon finding it empty, we moved our gear inside and brought our voices back up to normal level. We pulled out sleeping gear and set up for a few hours of sleep. Karsten and I had opted for the comfort of sleeping bags but, to save on space, Jacob had committed to just an emergency bivvy bag, more akin to a crisp packet than a piece of sleeping gear. We'd been joking about waking everyone up with the crinkle of the bag, but now it was time to experience it. Good thing there wasn't anyone else in the hut. I was warm enough, but the sound of Jacob moving was enough to keep me from a proper sleep. The alarms went off after nowhere near enough time rested, and I sat in my sleeping bag feeling cold and tired while the guys got up and started packing. Eventually I made my way out of bed and getting moving made me feel better. We set off up towards bushline and were treated with the rising sun once we got out into the open. It wasn't long before the cloud rolled in and we all started getting cold, layering up to get to Kime Hut. We arrived to another empty hut and enjoyed/didn't enjoy a cold dehy breakfast, I don't think it would have been any better heated though. More layers were put on, by now I had everything I'd brought on. And after leaving I very quickly warmed up and regretted having my puffer jacket on. The following hours provided some stunning landscapes as we walked along the ridgeline, over Mt Hector. The cloud was hanging around, but we still managed to get a few views. What I thought was part of the Wellington Harbour was actually Kapiti Island. The ridgeline seemed to go on forever, but eventually we started descending off Alpha, hitting bushline again, and coming across the hut soon after. Reaching Alpha Hut made it feel like we were nearly done, despite only being about halfway through. We made the most of the hut, having a reset before the final section. We were grateful for Jacob’s decision to bring a cooker and enjoyed a hot meal while he had a nap, his lack of sleeping bag had made it too cold to sleep during the night. I’d walked the remaining section of trail a few years ago and remembered the trail down from the hut and up to Marchant Ridge being far quicker. My legs were protesting with the steep downhills but after a while along the ridge I started finding a groove that I hadn’t felt yet. I started feeling more confident and although it required heaps of concentration, I felt like I was keeping up better. I’d also given up caring about trying to skirt around the many boggy bits and went full savage mode boosting through the middle, with varying success. There were plenty of giggles when I’d hit a deep one and end up in mud to my knees. We knew that our friend Sam was coming out to meet us and when we bumped into him with 9ks to go it was a massive boost. We started the downhill off the ridge, and it wasn’t long before I had a meltdown after a certain song started playing through my headphones. That downhill dragged, darkness fell, and my knees screamed in pain. Once I started recognising the terrain leading to the next turn off, I became focused again, forgetting the pain and keeping a better pace up. After a while I slowed back down and had to stop for another cry and to eat, then resumed my focus. Both Jacob and I were pretty broken by this point, Karsten seemed to be absolutely fine. We split into two groups somewhere along here, with Sam keeping my spirits up for the final few k’s along and down the final downhill. The slick clay surface slowed things down and there were some savage steps in there too. I managed to stay upright and was ecstatic to emerge out into the Kaitoke carpark before midnight. I’d thought there’d be some tears of relief but had obviously used them all up already. Jacob and Karsten soon joined us, and we got our bikes built back up as the rain set in. It was decided that being midnight would work in our favour for empty roads, so we rolled along the main road to the Z in Upper Hutt. It was great to take weight off and use the legs in a more familiar way, but I was very aware that I hadn’t eaten much for a while, a pie from the Z sounded ideal. They were out of hot food, so water bottles were filled, and I made do with a stroopwafel to get me home. After a funny interaction with a local we got back rolling, taking the most direct way home. Thankfully the rain had eased off and with Sam sitting on the front it was a speedy trip back into town. I got home at 2am, had a shower and was asleep immediately. All in all, 150k cycling, 40k tramping while carrying a bike, and around 4000m of elevation. Just under 29 hours for the full loop, only a third of which was mildly unpleasant -- I’d call that a win. We all agreed that we wouldn’t do it again, but I’ve since learnt that there is also a Northern Crossing of the Tararuas. Might have put in some more time on foot first." - Emma Bateup

    • Wellington Bike Swap
      • Love hanging out with your friends and piles of vintage bike parts? Then you would have loved the 2024 Wellington Bike Swap! More

    • "Grompage" 2023 film festival
      • Get Lost Cycling are proud to have hosted the inaugural edition of GROMPAGE™, Wellington's premier mountain bike movie festival 🔥 GROMPAGE™ is a celebration of Wellington's riding and creative talent. All videos were submitted by members of the local riding community and prizes were awarded for "best riding," "most creative edit," and "people's choice."

    • Custom "WRAD" hardtail - Spoke magazine feature
      • We've been big fans of Spoke magazine since we were teenagers so we jumped at the chance to feature in the latest issue. With a fresh hardtail courtesy of Matt at "WRAD" bikes we took the opportunity to look back on the build process and discuss the reasons for and against going custom. "Being surrounded by bikes day in and day out I've developed some pretty strong opinions about what works and what doesn't work when it comes to modern bikes. I've been able to put most of my ideas in to practice with off the shelf bikes but when the opportunity presented itself to get a custom bike built locally I couldn't say no. We've seen some shocking custom frames come through the shop from some very highly regarded builders so we've learnt to be cautious, but having Matt (Wrad bikes) based locally put those fears to rest. Who is WRAD? Matt Ward is the man behind Wrad (We Ride All Day) bikes. He's worked as an engineer for the last 6 Years and in that time has worked as a Manufacturing Project Engineer, mechanical CAD designer and is currently the Production Manager for FTN Motion. Growing up riding dirt bikes means Matt has always been keen on going fast on two wheels and living in Wellington meant it was only a matter of time until Matt gave mountain biking a go. 6 years ago he took the plunge and with his dirt bike background he found himself drawn to faster paced downhill riding where reliability is more important than weight and the bikes are ultimately built to send. This is reflected in not only his current steel bikes that he builds but also the first frame he built out of bamboo. Bamboo also served as the inspiration for the Wrad logo/headbadge as it is not only a deceptively strong frame building material but also a Pandas favourite meal. The headbadge is reflective of Matt's approach to frame building. While a head tube sticker ultimately does the trick it really doesn't compare to the Lazer cut bear that graces the front of every Wrad frame. Brazed on and sitting proud of the head tube, the head badge gives of a sense of permanence which is a welcome change from the disposable culture that permeates so much of mountain biking. Frame building, regardless of method, is a specialist pursuit which requires a very specific range of tools as well as a suitable workshop. Not being afraid to get his hands dirty, Matt took the initiative and built a frame jig as well as the workshop which serves as the Wrad headquarters. Not having physical space to install the workshop was proving to be a challenge but fortunately a colleague came through and Wrad is now perched in his workmates backyard looking down over the Wellington harbour. Currently WRAD is still a side gig, and Matt thinks it will stay that way for at least the rest of this year. He's enjoying seeing it grow organically, slowly gaining a reputation for the right reasons without needing to force it. Having spent time with Matt and seeing his approach to frame building I have no doubt that we'll be seeing more Wrad bikes out on the trails soon. Concept behind the bike The bike that Matt built me is a reaction against super high performing modern bikes which excel in one area at the expense of everything else. Despite these bikes being great fun in the right circumstances I knew I wanted something that wasn't locked in to one style of riding and had different characteristics depending on the build. A classic Jack of all trades, master of none type situation. I also wanted to minimise cross over with my other bikes. I think there's a lot of value in having a range of bikes which all fulfill a specific function with minimal crossover. My previous hardtail was (too) deep in the lower/slacker/longer camp and I found that I would mostly ride my full sis rather than getting bashed around. Design process I spent hours agonising over the bike on bike cad before realising I'd practically designed a rigid Norco Fluid. After years of watching bikes getting rowdier it felt weird designing a bike that was steeper, shorter and higher than my previous hardtail but it also felt like a natural response to the pendulum swinging as far as it has. I had a few ideas that weren't able to make it to fruition (frame bag beer fridge), and other ideas which allowed me some flexibility with geo numbers (sliding dropouts). I leant in to the freedom presented by building something custom so the extra top tube, high standover (for maximum frame bag storage) and rack mounts were luxuries that set the bike apart but also make it that much more fit for purpose. Matt was happy for me to lead the geometry and he chimmed in when things weren't viable. Having someone local who understood the brief was invaluable and validated my decision to work with someone in the same time zone rather than outsourcing the bike from overseas. Delivery and build Once I'd made up my mind and committed to the final numbers the bike came together remarkably quickly. While Matt was busy cutting and glueing tubes I finalised the rest of the build and tried to make sure it was ready for long days in the saddle as well as Wellingtons notorious weather. In predictable fashion it was a short notice build before embarking on my first trip with the bike. Despite the time constraints the initial build went as smooth as it could and the fit and finish on the bike was as good or better than anything from a large manufacturer. I also took the opportunity to get a set of custom frame bags made by Auckland based "Paper roads" which added to the functionality of the build and allowed me to maximise the storage capability of the bike. Ride After picking the bike up from Matt I managed to get a grand total of two shake down rides on the bike before riding it 1500km from the Queen Charlotte sound down to Milford Sound. Despite some initial apprehension about riding a brand new bike the length of the South island it turned out my concerns were unfounded and everything went off without a hitch. With the tour behind me and Wellington Winter in full swing it's fair to say that it's achieved what I wanted from it. While it's not as capable as my full suspension trail bike, nor as fast on the flat as my gravel bike it slots in perfectly in-between as a do anything, go anywhere adventure bike. With xc tyres it makes my local grade 3/4 trails interesting while still being ready to be loaded up with bags for a quick overnighter if the mood takes me. Working with Matt and being able to see my bike come to life from concept through to design and fabrication has been incredibly rewarding. The quality and finish is as good as anything I've come across from much more established builders and I've ended out with something that suits my needs perfectly in the most self indulgent was possible. I'm the only person that this bike needs to work for and that's exactly how I like it." Words: Koen Greven Photos: Lewis Ferris

    • Sound to Sound 2023
      • The "Sound to Sound" is an annual bikepacking event running the length of the South Island of New Zealand. A few of us took on the challenge in March 2023 and have done our best to summarise our experience below: More

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