Last night I even went for the season’s first after-work ride. Unlike some of my after-work efforts, this one started outside of what normal people consider to be working hours.
The goal was to ride a few new trails, one of which is called Ma Te Wa.
That broadly translates as See You Later, which is a good attitude to adopt as you drop in. It can also be read as Time Will Tell, which it turns out is equally pertinent.
When we decided to move to Rotorua to kick off the Nzo project, we rented a house in town. The day we pulled into the driveway we were greeted by a 12 year old kid who was so desperately into mountain biking it was comical. He lived across the street, and would be waiting with several of his mates most days when we got home from work. His name is Craig Pattle and he was a sponge for anything we might know that he didn’t, about bikes, trails, riders, anything at all really.
Of course, it wasn’t long before somebody with his laser focus knew more than we did, and not long after that was better at riding bikes too.
We watched as he outgrew several of our early prototype garments, and then become a sponsored (by our international competition) rider, a winner of races, and eventually a pro on the European downhill circuit.
Sooner or later (we have been at this caper for several decades and so has he) his serious racing days were over and he opened a trail and pump track building operation called Velosolutions. It is the New Zealand branch of a company dreamed up by one of his mates from the racing scene in Europe.
Ma Te Wa is one of his creations.
I am not sure who the target market was for this particular trail, but I am square in the middle of it. The trail is long enough to be worth the climb to get to it, full of corners, has plenty of options for people who are more game than I am, and has what I consider to be the right amount of ‘rustic charm’ (meaning, already pocked with braking bumps and ruts). A new favourite.
We had no idea how Craig would turn out when we first met him, or what he would end up doing with his obsession, but as they say, Ma Te Wa (Time will Tell).
Happy trails, Ma Te Wa (See You Later).