At Crankworx Rotorua 2022, we had the pleasure of meeting a young rider named Dylan when he introduced himself while visiting our expo site. He had just completed a school project on adaptive mountain biking and our charity, #AdaptMTB, and took the opportunity to come and say hi and meet our crew of adaptive riders. Well, Dylan got back in touch a week ago to let us know that he was planning a fundraising event to raise money for us and the work we do in supporting adaptive mountain biking in Aotearoa! And over the weekend, he did it! Young Dylan completed his 3-hour fundraiser ride, covering ..read more

Te Poaka Adaptive Downhill proved to be a massive hit with all the riders who competed, pushing themselves to their limits. To ensure a level playing field, the racing categories were split into two and three wheels, with separate male and female categories. The two-wheeled race was a closely fought affair, with Nathan Davies emerging victorious with a time of 4:12.658. Richard Purcell and James Littlejohn claimed second and third place, respectively, with times of 4:49.617 and 4:37.618. Also competing in his first downhill event, and in his 60s, Bruce Knegt completed the course in a very resp ..read more

We’ve had a month now to come down from our high of being involved in Crankworx Rotorua. And wow, what a high it was! Even the wet and muddy conditions didn’t dampen our spirits, and with a bit of trench digging we also didn’t get such wet feet.  Before we set out to attend this event we had an idea of what we hoped to achieve and were blown away to massively exceed those expectations. Exhibitor life.. Better than could have imagine James & Yak talk aMTB with public Supporter signing up to win our cool merch Pro rider Brook McDonald stops in to chat with aMTB riders Expo stand vo ..read more

Ancient forest, breath-taking views, suspension bridges, tunnels and a return to my happy place Words by Susan Reid Tiffiney, left, and Susan on their Lasher Sport ATH-FS full suspension e-assist hand-cycles During Labour Weekend this year I was lucky to be part of a group of ten riders who completed the stunning Timber Trail ride through the Pureora Forest in the central North Island. Our group was a mix of adaptive mountain bikers, along with family and friends as support crew. This adventure was the result of more than 12 months’ planning and preparation by #AdaptMTB’s Andrew Burt, AKA Bur ..read more

We’ve been a bit quiet here at #AdaptMTB but it's been for a good reason! In 2020 we first reached out to the team who organise Crankworx Rotorua to see if we could work with them to facilitate adaptive athletes competing in the event, and also assist them with suggestions for making the event accessible for mobility impaired spectators. For those able-bodied MTB enthusiasts, usually the only way to see a MTB race is to scramble up banks and through forest to get a vantage point alongside a trail… something that’s close to impossible for those in wheelchairs or who may have limited leg strengt ..read more

On 9th and 10th of July we ran another give it a go event. With the help of our awesome volunteers and supporting organisations, people with disabilities and their families had the opportunity to see if adaptive mountain biking could work for them as a recreational activity. Although the weather was awful leading up to the weekend we were lucky to not be hugely affected by it. The location under the redwoods is so special and only became more magical with a little bit of misty rain. Also, the pumice soil of Whakarewarewa drained so quickly that the terrain was still firm!  This event was ..read more

#AdaptMTB was privileged to be invited to the Green Pavlova Outdoors Accessibility Panel in Dunedin this month. The annual Recreation Aotearoa conference is attended by a huge range of stakeholders involved in creating and maintaining New Zealand's open spaces. The key theme of the conversation was barriers. These come in all shapes and sizes and while they are well intentioned, they very often exclude those with disabilities from enjoying our open spaces! There has been great feedback about the panel and the message of making these spaces accessible!  ..read more

Here are #AdaptMTB we are working with mountain bike parks to improve accessibility and to make considerations in their trail design that accommodate the needs of adaptive mountain bike riders.  #AdaptMTB’s Burty, a local to Whakarewarewa Rotorua, has first-hand knowledge of the adaptations needed for adaptive bikes and trikes. He’s been a trail maintenance volley for years but since his involvement with adaptive mountain biking, he now sees the trails he rides with an inclusive lens. We’d say he has a mental directory of all the trails in Rotorua, and a subcategory of the trails ..read more

Exciting progress on making Rotorua’s Forest Loop accessible for adaptive mountain trikes and bikes. We felt the need to share news that fills our heart with joy, and we hope it will you too! A couple of years ago a few of us from #AdaptMTB met Simon Alefosio-Tuck AKA “Tuckey” at the Recreation Aotearoa Conference where our very own James Littlejohn was presenting on adaptive equipment and accessibility in the outdoors (watch here). Tuckey is the Recreation Partnership Advisor at Rotorua Lakes Council and our ears pricked up when we heard one of his key projects is to make Rotorua’s many walki ..read more

In July 2021 we held our first, of what we hope will be regular, Give-it-a-go Adaptive Mountain Bike days. The day proved to be fun for all involved, volunteers, participants, friends and whānau were all buzzing during and after. The stunning location Under The Sails in the Redwood forest, Rotorua, and great food added to the festival feel and created an environment no one was in a hurry to leave. Below are just a few of the happy faces or you can go over to our facebook album to look at all the images captured on the day (thanks to our photographers Diego, Alex and Michelle) We co ..read more