Spoke

SEVEN YEARS OF SUMMER

Christchurch dirtjumper and trail builder extraordinaire Phil McLean hates winter. He loathes it so much he flies to Canada every year for six or seven months. Barring one year when he underwent knee reconstruction, he’s been chasing those long warm days for seven years.

It’s not all about beers and bike park laps, though. Phil has played an instrumental role in building the last couple of Crankworx Red Bull Joyride courses, and carving trails into the cliffs at Red Bull Rampage.

Now the 27-year-old is back in New Zealand, caught up with him to find out

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Spoke

Spoke5 min read
Microshift Advent X drivetrain
These days it’s rare to go on a ride without having a conversation about broken derailleurs, snapped chains, or for someone to wax nostalgic about the indefatigable drivetrains of yesteryear. It sometimes seems like there’s an arms race to cram more
Spoke7 min read
Flying High Under The Radar
Ellie Chew could be one of our best-kept secrets, at least within New Zealand. On a global scale she’s become something of an action sports icon, but most people in NZ wouldn’t recognise her in the street. Best known as a BMX rider, Ellie has had qui
Spoke11 min read
DIRT & DETERMINATION D&D
Watching the sun disappear over the hills with a beer in hand, surveying years of hard work, we never envisioned that this place would turn into the trail network we have now. When Hamish and I went through photos and mem- ories to write this article

Related Books & Audiobooks