Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
UnderGround is published by Ground Effect, PO Box 4536, 10 B Tussock Lane, Christchurch, New Zealand. Phone +64 3 379 9174 ernie@groundeffect.co.nz www.groundeffect.co.nz
Ernie’s Tech Tips Trail Tales
As one-time coach of the Swedish Nude Beach Volley Ball Team, our Accessibility
virtual impresario and home-movie director has found himself implicated
• Auckland Point Primary School in Nelson have begun
in the WikiLeaks furore. He was last spotted waving a large magnet over work on a new pump track in their grounds. They’ve signed
his hard drive and incinerating potentially damning correspondence up Damian Stones, expert dirt sculptor, to build it. Having
before going bush to let the situation cool. From a remote hill-top location a world class pump track right in the heart of Nelson will
on the West Coast he has uploaded notes from his iPlod on essentials for be a huge boost for the local riding scene. The Slush Fund
overnight excursions. paid for a pile of clay. Pump track laps for lunch - school
just got a lot more fun.
Weight Watcher’s Equipment Guide • Manning-Great Lakes Tip Riders is a newly formed
For two or three day mountain bike trips the trick is to take the least amount of mountain bike club on the Mid North Coast of NSW.
stuff that you can safely get away with. This invariably means omitting a few They have been busy creating and restoring over 40km
of singletrack in Kiwarrak State Forest, 7km from the Taree
comforts but is a worthy sacrifice... tackling wonderful singletrack while being
CBD. The Slush Fund bought a brush cutter to ease the
loaded like a packhorse is not a good time. burden. The Club along with State Forests of NSW and
Play it Safe the Greater Taree City Council aim to promote mountain
biking in Kiwarrak and put the region on the map as a mtb
If you land in the cactus while in the back of beyond you’ve gotta yell pretty destination. www.mgltipriders.asn.au
loud to get help. Travelling light doesn’t mean foregoing emergency stuff and • Bike Wanaka have recently completed work on the Albert
you do need to make conservative decisions that reflect your ability to deal with Town-Dublin Bay loop. 11.5km of buffed singletrack,
the unexpected. Typically this involves researching the area you’re heading into, ideal for short races and day-night events. The Slush Fund
timing the trip with a decent weather forecast, making sure your bike is fit and helped out with some digger time - essential for cutting
healthy, riding a little less on-the-edge than usual, and having the ‘huevos’ to turn though winter permafrost. www.lakewanakacycling.com
back if things aren’t going to plan. Mobile phones have limited coverage in the • In 2009, Wellington’s PNP Cycling Club along with the
NZ backcountry - but are occasionally useful to holler for help, text your mates or Outdoor Participation Trust created a new singletrack
call for pizzas. descent from near the Alexander Road Saddle down
to the Hataitai Velodrome. Now complete, the Zig Zag
Money or the Bag track provides a much longer and enjoyable route into
Cart your stuff in a lightweight pack - about 25-30 litres capacity. Panniers are Mt Victoria. The Council were so impressed, they agreed
great for off-road touring, but don’t cut the mustard on technical track, grovelling to extend the track so it now starts at the actual saddle.
through undergrowth or when carrying your bike. That said, a Freeload Rack with Ground Effect helped cover the costs of a bridge and
boardwalk. Work is ongoing, volunteer by emailing
a dry bag strapped to it can be an excellent option in open country. Tents and
mtb@pnp.org.nz
sleeping mats are millstones best avoided. Plan your trip around huts and survive
the night with a compact 150-300g down sleeping bag (300-500g in winter) • Whitianga Bike Park has had some issues with people
missing their entrance on SH27, leading to some dodgy
coupled with a lightweight down jacket for stooging around the hut. Not always
ABS braking moments. Rules and regulations prevented
a cozy pit, but good enough after a hard day in the saddle. a decent sign next to the highway. The entrance has now
Toasty Warm been redesigned to allow a safer approach with a larger
sign. The Slush Fund bought the timber.
Even in summer it can get cold and wet. Pack a pair of Daddy Long Legs tights, www.whitiangabikeclub.co.nz
a Baked Alaska thermal top, perhaps a Submerino thermal base-layer, a Storm
Trooper rain jacket and Helter Skelters over-trou’. Plus a Baked Beanie for ya Ground Effect has always supported initiatives that
noggin’ and some lightweight polypro gloves to wear under your cycling gloves. improve the lot for cyclists. If your club or organisation
I survive on a single riding top and pair of shorts. Washing your nether regions in has a worthy project that needs funds to make it real,
bang a note to slushfund@groundeffect.co.nz.
the evening helps avoid saddle sores.
Feed Me Gig Guide
You’ll need a lot of space for food. Choose wisely - check out the ‘Art of Food
• The Bike Buller Mtb Festival, 5-6 March. Mt Buller, VIC.
and Bikes’ in Tech Tips at groundeffect.co.nz. Pre-cooked avoids the need for a
Catering for the recreational rider to committed racer. A
billy and stove but is a bit austere. If you’re in some dodgy place overseas, then a two day stage race including XC, Super-D, live music &
water filter is good insurance. It’s worth paying extra for a high capacity model. even a kids’ race. www.rapidascent.com.au/bikebuller
First Aid • Ground Effect Singletrack Fiesta, 19 March. Living
Springs, Christchurch. Don’t hang up your bicicleta de
Apart from the standard trail tools, it pays to pack some spare parts. Depending montaña for the winter just yet. Join this fun day of racing at
on the terrain carry a few spokes, a folding tyre, rear hanger and/or derailleur. A www.singletrack.org.nz/events
headlight and flashing tail light are handy if be-nighted, or suffer an after-dark
• Grape Ride, 2 April. Marlborough. The South Island’s
road-bash back to the car. biggest cycling event loops 101km on the road through
Surprisingly, your body is even more precious than your bike. Pack some heavy Marlborough’s vineyards and the Marlborough Sounds.
duty painkillers, arnica, anti-inflammatory and antihistamine tablets, plaster and www.graperide.co.nz
dressings for nasty falls, a crepe bandage and survival blanket. You can score a • Around Brunner Cycle Ride, 16 April. West Coast. 130km
ready-made kit from St Johns Ambulance or aideport.com. If you haven’t done sealed circuit taking in typically stunning West Coast
so already, shuffle along to a basic first aid course. scenery. www.aroundbrunner.co.nz
• Dirt Works 100km Classic, 1 May. St. Albans, NSW.
Getting Lost Follows the historic convict trail along the Old Great North
At the risk of stating the obvious carry a map, compass and the skills to use them. Road. The course includes a unique 60m kayak bridge
If your route crosses private land then ask the land owner’s permission first... and across the Macdonald River.
www.maxadventure.com.au/100kmclassic/nsw
try to glean local knowledge from them. A GPS is a useful toy to know exactly
where you are, how far you climbed, how you got there and all sorts of other • Moonride, 13-14 May. Rotorua. 24,12 or 6 hours of
train spotting data. For the paranoid or on truly death defying trips take an EPIRB madness and fun with short laps of Rotorua’s legendary
Whakarewarewa singletrack. Team up or go it alone.
or Spot Tracker like they use in multi-day adventure races. Setting one off is like
www.moonride.co.nz
blowing a whistle that the whole of the Southern Hemisphere can hear.
• Red Centre Mtb Enduro, 16-20 May. Alice Springs, NT. A
The New Zealand Mountain Safety Council regularly holds Outdoor Safety mountain bike adventure over five days at the red centre
Courses in First Aid, Navigation and even Risk Management. All handy tools for of Australia. It’s a multi-day stage race without multi-day
your resumé. logistics - all seven stages start and finish within rolling
distance of Alice Springs.
Have fun and be careful out there. www.rapidascent.com.au/anacondamtbenduro
For up-to-date information on all Ground Effect events
check out www.groundeffect.co.nz/events
Inside Out We do due diligence on the business end
of our riding shorts – the Softail pad.
Perfect Padding
Common to all bikes (well, maybe not unicycles) are the contact points between bike and body: the pedals; handlebar; and seat. Stiff shoes,
gloves with plenty of grip and padded shorts are must-haves. Craggy cyclists of yesteryear wore tightly knitted woollen shorts that were cut and
shaped to provide a smooth interface with the bike seat. A thin leather ‘chamois’ pad minimised friction between seat and backside – minimal
padding but less rubbing. That was fine for the pros but not so great for less-hardened recreational cyclists.
Synthetic fibres developed in the post-war era ushered new technology into cycling. Durable, quick-drying nylon replaced wool and the now
ubiquitous lycra provided knitted fabrics with amazing 4-way stretch and recovery. By the 70’s, pads generally combined foam padding with a top
layer of fabric for next-to-skin comfort. Ground Effect joined the timeline in the mid 90’s with our simple ‘Monolithic’ pad – a 3D moulded number
with an anti-microbial finish, no seams and a relatively thick layer of foam. Curiously pads were still generically referred to as ‘chamois’, even though
leather had been supplanted by better performing synthetics.
Sometimes less is more. In this case foam and therefore comfort. In the 00’s, after trialling a broad range of options from the best European
suppliers, we upgraded to our Softail pad. The top layer was textured for improved moisture dispersion but more critically, featured multi-level
foam with thicker cushioning over the sitting bones and thinner where bulk can cause rubbing. Now in present time, the Softail pad has evolved
to its current specification with a few more improvements for 2010. We’re continually testing and evaluating advances in technology used in the
world’s best pads. Many concepts failed to impress when finalising this latest version – gel inserts didn’t breathe, felt squiggy and didn’t seem
to spread the load effectively. Thick foam caused discomfort. With a variety of bums and riding styles on test, we opted for a dual density foam
core (thinner but with more support where it counts), 4-way stretch to match the shaping of modern 10 panel shorts and reverted to an entirely
seamless construction. Women’s and men’s versions share the same features but vary in length, width and moulded shape.
The Softail is a well resolved pad that delivers optimum comfort and performance for most cyclists. Rave reports from customers certainly reinforce
that we’ve got it about right. A final pearl though… your bum’s well-being is not just determined by your choice of shorts. The brand of saddle,
seat height and angle, and how much riding you’re doing to toughen up your nether regions all play a major part. Sounds like a great excuse to
spend more time on the bike. Frase, Ground Effect Product Designer
Supersonics
NZ$129
Fabric: ShockWave™ Lycra®
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
Mojos
NZ$129
Fabric: ShockWave™ Lycra®
Sizes: WS, WM, WL
Mojo Rising
New Zealand company Ground Effect has a reputation for producing high
quality clothing at reasonable prices. The Mojos are the women’s version of
their top of the range lycra shorts. On first appraisal they are an understated
and low key piece of kit. Looks deceive though. They are constructed with
Viv negotiates some holiday pay. Photo: Caleb Smith
10 panels and curved, colour contrasting seams. The curves are not only
flattering but also allow the lycra fabric to stretch and mimic your body’s
Our Softail™ pad delivers unparalleled comfort movements. The fabric is soft, comfortable, non-shiny and looks good.
for those gnarly long days in the saddle. This is an area where Ground Effect excels - making kit that women (and
> Differential density, multi-level foam construction presumably men) of all shapes and sizes can wear and enjoy. The Mojos
provides additional padding at pressure points without don’t have leg grippers, so there’s no dreaded ‘stuffed sausage’ effect for
increased bulk. those with less than perfectly sculpted thighs. Despite the lack of grippers,
> 3D anatomical shaping and the shorts’ legs don’t shift or cause irritation, remaining comfortable even
seamless construction hug your on the longest rides. The quick-drying synthetic chamois pad is genuinely
body for a performance fit. comfortable, with different densities of foam where needed and an anti-
> Polyester-knit face fabric bacterial finish. A simple interior lumbar pouch is useful for stashing tissues.
against your skin disperses heat There’s also a reflective logo on one thigh.
and moisture. Verdict: A supremely comfortable and flattering pair of hardwearing lycra
> It has an anti-bacterial finish shorts. Especially good for those who dislike leg grippers.
and dries rapidly after washing. Leonie Jennings - road.cc
free bandanna Got a couple of mates who are itching to join the Cycling Revolution, and who live at a different
address from you? Scratch down their details and we’ll spring you a free Bandanna.
First Name: . .........................................Surname: .......................................... First Name: . .........................................Surname: ..........................................
Address: ........................................................................................................ Address: ........................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................
City: ..................................................... State/Post Code: ............................. City: ..................................................... State/Post Code: .............................
Country:.......................................................................................................... Country:..........................................................................................................
ORDER FORM
Product Size Colour Qty Price Total Delivery Address
First Name: . ........................................ Surname: .............................................
Address: . .........................................................................................................
City: ........................................ State/Post Code: .............................................
Country: ....................................... Phone: [ ] .............................................
* $7 within NZ or Australia. Sub Total e-mail: ..............................................................................................................
For overseas orders check Delivery Charge* Any special instructions (NZ deliveries only), eg. leave at back door:
out www.groundeffect.co.nz ..........................................................................................................................
Total
Payment Method Customer No. (in address panel) or postal address (if different from above):
Cheque Visa MasterCard ..........................................................................................................................
> Mail to Ground Effect, PO Box 4536, Christchurch 8140, NZ
Card No.
> Or fax it to us at +64 3 379 2623
> Alternatively call 0800 655 733 in NZ, 1800 145 333 from Australia
Card Holder Name:........................................................................................... or +64 3 379 9174 from elsewhere on the planet.
Expiry Date:.........................................Signature:.............................................. > Or use the secure shopping cart at www.groundeffect.co.nz
S TAY O N M Y TA I L Changed your address? Jot down your new details, or jump online to www.groundeffect.co.nz/stayintouch
First Name:........................................................................... Surname: ....................................................................
new Address: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
new City: . ...........................................................................new State/Post Code:...................................... new Country: ..................................................................
Customer No. (in address panel) AND old Address: ...........................................................................................................................................................................