Results from Sunday's race at Mangamahoe

Carl showing some style:

3 lap results:

1. Thomas Lindup........1 hour 23 mins 30 secs
2. Matt Goodsell..........1 hour 30 mins 45 secs
3. Carl Whittleston.......1 hour 35 mins 30 secs
4. Alan de Latour.........1 hour 36 mins 45 secs
5. Carey Mander..........1 hour 40 mins 30 secs
6. Les Thorn..............1 hour 47 mins 15 secs

2 lap results:

1. Lian Brownson.........1 hour 19 mins
2. Paul Simkin............1 hour 19 mins 15 secs

Matt and Thomas sharing while the others cannot believe what they are hearing:

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Trail maintenance working bees

Trail maintenance working bees after work on Thursdays till Christmas.

The grass and blackberry are starting to grow and some of the existing trails need some grooming.

Some of us will be out at Mangamahoe on Thursday evenings after work - so feel free to join us from 5.30 pm onwards.

Committee Meeting was on Wednesday 22nd October

The meeting had a good turn out.

Main items covered were:

a. Roles to be allocated
b. 2009 Uni Games especially DH location & Competition Manager
c. Trail maintenance working bees needed
d. Young riders to be catered for on Sunday rides
e. Others interested to help
f. 2009 Masters Games
g. Jump Park update

Minutes to be posted when available.

Club meeting was on the 24th September!

New Plymouth Mountain Bikers – 2008-2009:

There is a lot that needs be done in the coming year to make the most of opportunities for events and track building in and around New Plymouth. Currently there are not enough active bodies to cope with all the mountain biking projects that we could get underway. If we cannot get more help, those who are willing will have to prioritise and set out to achieve what they can.

We currently have a committee fulfilling parts of the roles below, but we really welcome some keen people’s assistance to make more things happen.

The next club meeting will be advised ASAP.

The committee would like willing club members to come along and offer to take on a role as outlined below or an agreed variation. If you cannot make it but still would like to help, contact Graeme, see below:

Committee make up:
• Vacancy for President.
• Roles as per below:

Events management:
• Sunday rides.
• Trips away to other MTB venues.
• Night racing events.
• After work handicap events.
• Summer club racing 2008-2009.
• Masters Games March 2009.
• University Games April 2009.
• Taranaki Secondary Schools April 2009.
• Get2Go Challenge September 2009.

Fundraising:
• Local business sponsorships.
• Gaming Trust applications.

Rider development:
• Organise skills courses.
• Development of rider development teams.
• MTBNZ coaching support.

Trail Maintenance:
• Trail maintenance throughout the year.
• Storage of club gear.
• Trail grading.
• Trail signage.
• Trail mapping.

Trail Development:
• Trail development plans.
• Pricing of new trail building
• Contracting trail building works out.
• Supervision of trail building.
• Free ride structures.

Advocacy:
• Maintain and develop relationships with NPDC, TRC, DoC, MTBNZ, Service Clubs etc.
• MOU development with NPDC Parks for Mangamahoe.
• New district cemetery implications for Mangamahoe followed up.
• LTCCP submissions.

Marketing:
• Increase club membership.
• Publicity of events and club rides.
• Website maintenance.
• Newsletters for club members.

Treasurer:
• Charities Commission registration.
• IRD Tax Exemption obtained.
• GST registered?
• Maintain financial records.
• File financial statements for Incorp. Society requirements.
• Pay the bills.
• Maintain membership list along with Secretary.

Secretary:
• Record meeting minutes.
• Clear mail box regularly.
• Distribute correspondence.
• Maintain membership and contact lists.
• Write letters etc.

Graeme Lindup
Secretary
NP Mountain Bikers
http://www.tarnakimtb.co.nz/
graeme_mtb@clear.net.nz
Phone 06 757 2062

Trail building is finished for now!

Jeff Carter and James Dodds from Southstar Adventures of Rotorua have completed a week's work on behalf of the club to build new trails out in the recently logged area of North Mangamahoe.

This is what the area looked like and by the end of the week, a new loop track on top of the hill was constructed with links back into the existing network in the forest. They also cleared the old 4WD track leading from the northern end of the Samurai Set down to the river flat. There they completed a small loop on top of a ridge over looking the river.

The new trails will need some packing down and you riding them now they have finished will assist.


Here are some photos of the trail building in progress:

Trail building proposal approved by the NPDC Parks Dept.

The trail building proposal that was submitted to the New Plymouth District Council's Parks Dept at the end of June has been approved.

The first set of trails is scheduled to be constructed by using NPDC approved contractors (Southstar Adventures Ltd http://www.southstaradventures.com/) to build trails in the northern area of the forest that has recently been logged, see the yellow and magenta trails below. This work is planned for the week commencing 21st July. Cross fingers for fine weather!

The funding to pay the contractors would initially come from the Transit NZ compensation money received in 2001, currently held by the NPDC in its suspense account. Any balance would come from the club's current account. Application has been made to Ground Effect for assistance from their slush fund.

The plan also outlined the future trail building requirements at the southern end of the park during the summer of 2008-2009 that will depend on the outcome of the new District Cemetary consultations. Plus in the longer term, replacement trails for the area to be logged mid 2009 (Dress Circle/Samurai Set back south to Thomas's tracks).

The club hopes that these successful negotiations will also lead onto to a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the club and the NPDC regarding the long term trail development, promotion and maintenance of the mountain bike facilities at the Mangamahoe Forest.

Committee Meeting held June

The meeting was on the 25th June at Sport Taranaki, starting 7.30 pm.

June's meeting's minutes: http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/Rocket_Engineer/PublicFolder/2008_06_Committee_Minutes.pdf

May's meeting's minutes: http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/Rocket_Engineer/PublicFolder/2008_05_Committee_Minutes.pdf

Trail building proposal submitted to the NPDC Park Dept.

A proposal has been submitted to the New Plymouth District Council's Parks Dept to use approved contractors to construct new singletrack trails in the northern area of Mangamahoe Forest.

We plan to do this in the immediate term by using NPDC approved contractors (Southstar Adventures Ltd) to build trails in the northern area of the forest that has recently been logged, see the yellow trails below. The funding to pay the contractors would initially come from the Transit NZ compensation money received in 2001, currently held by the NPDC in its suspense account.

The club hopes that this proposal will also lead onto to a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the club and the NPDC regarding the long term trail development, promotion and maintenance of the mountain bike facilities at the Mangamahoe Forest.

Track Marking Out North Mangamahoe

Members of the NP Mountainbikers club have been marking out routes for replacement XC trails in the recently logged northern area of Mangamahoe.

Work involved determining routes, marking out with a string line and tape and attaching to posts, stumps etc. GPS shows about 2900 metres of track marked out so far and there is more to go. The trail links back into the existing trails left in the unlogged area to the south plus lead down to the recent logging skid area at the northern end adjacent to the access road.

The yellow trails show what has been marked out, the magenta ones are what are planned, the red and green lines show existing roads and singletrack trails:

The timber lying on the ground along the route needs to be cleared away with a digger and some grooming of what is left is envisaged. Then the trees will be planted around the trails.

Sunday morning ride - 1st June

We had a good turn out with some old members of the NP Mountainbikers club showing up for a recreational ride around the MTB trails within the Lake Mangamahoe Forest.

We had a look around all the trails and there were a few spills. We checked out the track marking for the new tracks at the northern end of the forest. It was dry enough to ride down the skidding tracks left by the loggers.

Proposed New Cemeteries Plan impacts on Mangamahoe MTB Facilities

The New Plymouth District Council has released its draft master plan for cemeteries including the new district cemetery which will be sited at the southern end of Lake Mangamahoe Forest near Egmont Village.

Part of the proposed cemetery if implemented according to the draft plan, will from 2013 take over land currently used by recreational mountain bikers riding on trails recently created by the us.

These trails have been created in response to the loss of trails in the northern area of the forest due to logging of mature pine trees.

Recent events run in this area include the Taranaki Masters Games cross country, Taranaki Secondary Schools cross country and the Sparc Get2Go Challenge for secondary schools.

We urge the mountain biking public to submit online and recommend to the council that the loss of current MTB facilities proposed in the draft plan needs to be offset by the council supplying improved MTB access to the areas closer to the Waiwhakaiho River that is not suitable for either coffin or cremation ash interments.

Also cemeteries are also usually provided with running water for hand washing etc and the council should be prompted to extend this facility to provide for drinking water and bike washing facilities as additional compensation.

The draft plan and maps can be downloaded from the NPDC website:

http://www.newplymouthnz.com/HaveYourSay/Consultation/ProposedDistrictCemetery.htm

Have your say about the draft master plan of the new district cemetery by using the online submission form.

Feedback closes: 5 pm on Wednesday 4 June.

The public's feedback will be considered and a report will go to the full council in August.

Sunday morning ride - 25th May

We had 15 riders come out and do the Huatoki Pathway, Bendell's Walk loop, down the top of the Te Henui Pathway where some split off and carried on down the Te Henui to the Foreshore while others went across to the Waiwhakaiho River.

There we looked at the top of the current path and how it could be extended around further by the river towards the Merrilands Domain. Then we headed down the river to the netball courts, round Lake Rotomanu and back down the Coastal Pathway.

Committee meeting 14th May

The meeting was on the 14th May at Sport Taranaki, starting 7.30 pm.

April's meeting's minutes:

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/Rocket_Engineer/PublicFolder/2008%2004%20Committee%20Minutes.pdf

Minutes for the May meeting posted above.

Sunday morning ride - 4th May

Meeting Time was 9am at the Wind Wand on the Foreshore Coastal Pathway.

We got 12 riders along and we had a trip around the New Plymouth western trails. Some went on off-road trails they hadn't been on before and we all had a good time too!

Watch out for the notice for the next ride.

Karla in the recovery position.

Taranaki Masters Results!

33 brave souls came out in the rain on Sunday 30th March for the XC MTB event as part of the Taranaki Masters Games. 11 of these entered on the day - what commitment! In spite of the rain and the tracks being slippery everyone appeared to enjoy themselves.

Thanks to all those who helped get the tracks ready in the weeks leading up to it, to those who helped set out the tapes etc and got them back in again plus Carl for organising it all and running the timing machine with precision.

The results are available to download :-

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/Rocket_Engineer/PublicFolder/Masters_2008_RESULTS.pdf

In the meantime here are some photos:

Louisa showing the style that got her to first place in the Expert 30-40 female grade.

Must have been the first lap as she isn't too muddy.

As this is what most looked like after 2 laps.

Brent cannot believe what he has just willingly done.

NEW PLYMOUTH MOUNTAIN BIKERS INCORPORATED!

The club is now an incorporated society. The Department of Economic Development has issued a certificate of incorporation.

The reasons for forming the club into an incorporated society were:
1. More able to obtain funds from charitable trusts etc for improving mtb infrastructure in Taranaki.
2. Able to have a formal agreement with NPDC re the management of Mangamahoe Forest recreational area.
3. Able to employ contractors more easily to undertake track building and maintenance work with funds raised.
4. Members will not be personally liable for the debts, contracts or other obligations of the society.
5. The society will continue as a separate legal entity even though it’s membership changes.
6. The society can lease, rent, buy or sell property under the society’s own name.
7. No member of the society can have personal rights or interest in any of the assets of the society.

The approved constitution can be downloaded from:

http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/Rocket_Engineer/PublicFolder/Constitution_tobe_approved.pdf

Special General Meeting held on March 5th!

The special general meeting was held on Wednesday 5th March. There were sufficient club members there to view the draft constitution along get the 15 signatures required to complete the application to the Department of Economic Development.

A new management committee was also formed and the first committee meeting likely to be held in early April.

Skills courses were held this March - Well done to all those who got along

New Plymouth Mountain Bikers Club in conjunction with the TSB Community Trust and Mountainbike Adventures ran two more MTB skills courses last weekend. The courses were on March 1st and 2nd 2008 at Lake Mangamahoe Mountain Bike Park, SH3, New Plymouth.

The courses were the Trailmaster #1 on Saturday for those who had done a Phundamentals course last year. The Phundamentals course on Sunday was for those who were new to skills courses.

These courses were bought to you with the assistance of the TSB Community Trust.

Newsletter in the mail!

A club newsletter for February 2008 has been published and posted out over the weekend. Look out for in your mail box or in your email inbox.