Sensational stuff happening to the littlest person in our house hold:
1) daily play time in the jolly jumper - very cool, she likes it and is getting the hang of bouncing up and down....
2)Chow time - Emily can now just about hold her own drink bottle - this is not a staged photo, and remember folks we are trained professionals, do not attempt this at home yourself. 
posted by Redwoods @ 2:34 AM
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So, here's a quick word on Slackboy/Ricky the Postie from Wellington.
He's a Postie and rides mountainbikes - mostly singlespeed I understand.
In an act of sensational stupidity he tackled the 12 hour Moonride, Solo, on this great rig on loan from Honeymonster/Paul from Essence Bicycle.
No suspension, one brake on the front, skinny cyclocross tired pumped right up, fixed gear = no free wheeling, strange looking handlebars.....
some would say he's lost it completely........
I say he's right on the money. So much so that I have said to Tom the tank engine and Giant James that we should have a crack at the Woodhill 6/12 hour mtb race at the end of July in a similar fashion.
Solo, on the single speeds, fixed gear with beer.....................Sweet. Well easy to say sitting on the couch watching TV.
Back in Frontierland (the garage) the Merlin was celebrating the loss of the chain tensioner, a new-well quite old pair of STX cranks sporting a very retro blue anodised 32 tooth chainring and Sram 8 speed chain which by the grace of god now fitted perfectly.
So last Wednesday, after a bit of jiggery poke and an upgrade to an 18 tooth Surly fixed sprocket I headed out to Woodhill for a spin round the sandpit. 
Boy that's interesting I thought as I steamed into the first corner..............................
"Look out there's a shiny tree root in your path: no worries I'll just stop pedaling and go around it"
"No you won't screamed my frantically spinning legs !"
Rito, note to self - pay attention to trail. You're not on the Foes now doctor Ropata!
Anyways, it was fun and I'll be going back for more. If it sucked I'd hang that sprocket back on the garage wall pronto.
Tom's not so sure and James is as always just taking it easy about this whole no free wheeling gig.
Will keep you posted on the lads with their wavering enthusiasm and or crashes prior to the race, I mean event.
"Race" is a four letter word.
posted by Redwoods @ 1:10 AM
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Hi fellow bike folk.
Well lots of exciting things happening here - yes a new old bike.
Whilst at the Oceania mtb champs recently in Rotorua I bumped into Fred Christensen ( a legend in NZ mtb circles) he'd been doing a little work at Jville Cycles in Wellington.
So, Fred what's the coolest thing you've seen out the back of that shop I ask?
Fred says a guy walked in with an old Merlin hardtail the other day and wanted to sell it. Fred took it off his hands pronto.
Next day I see Fred and mention that if the Merlin needed a new home I'd be keen.
A couple of weeks later it turned up with a friend - a Hitachi replica team Eddy Merckx road bike with 7 speed Dura ace componentry...very tasty but a bit small. So it made it's way back to Wellington - but's that's another story.
The Merlin on the other hand was my size,by chance I knew the original owner and remember when he got it in the early 90's. So into the garage for a look see and appraisal of what to do with it. The original XTR componentry was in good nick, but I thought a single speed would be quick and easy to get rolling.
So, stripping the wheels (Surly rear 1x1 and Campag large flange front track hub) off my Scott endorphin single speed and throwing them at the Merlin pretty much had me rolling.
I don't do rigid forks anymore and a one inch headset was easily overcome with my '98 Judy XC (black box) forks sliding right in there.
Don't try and buy these forks off the shelf kids - you'll just be disappointed. It's not what you know......
XT v brakes, XTR cranks running a flogged out 36 chainring, crusty old Tioga T-Bone stem with riser bars, Raceface seatpost with (THE) titanium rail seat I think it hit the scales at 24 pounds?
Not bad but certainly not stunning.
First outing was with Giant James and Tom the tank engine on their singles out at Woodhill www.bikeparks.co.nz and it was pretty mint.
Went back the next weekend with the lads, this time with Azonic ape hanger riser bars - a whopping 630mm wide and 2 inches of rise ! A shorter A-head stem and quill converter thing handling the steering.
Bruno had razed me for not using his donated Yeti grips, so I slipped them on for a comfy ride.
Second outing was good with no problems, just a big goofy grin....
At this point I need to point out this happened before the last posting if that makes sense, because at the Moonride was this guy....(link coming) along with the rest of a very inspirational tale.....
posted by Redwoods @ 11:33 PM
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Well, for those of you regular followers, you'll know that super mum (Keighley) has been a little remiss in updating our online world. This can only mean a couple of things - been away and been busy with the nipper. Um both actually.
12/13 May we took the coffee cart (thanks Mac -www.junglecoffee.co.nz) to Rotorua for a 24/12 hour mtb race that we normally enter a 5 person team in....this year we gave something back to the sport and made coffee/hot chocolates/the odd tea and a short pour long black ! Go figure. There was mostly four of us doing the business that the girls from Jungle Coffee normally do with only two....but hey where else can you spend 14-18 hours with your riding buddies inside the shell of a double horse float selling the only legal drug left to under agers??
The following weekend was spent with friends and family in Katikati at Helen and Davids wonderful farmhouse catching up with Warren and Lisa who have been in NZ for a couple of weeks, on holiday from the UK. Didn't get to mow the lawns with the ride-on mower this time but the grass grows greener in Katikati anyways so I'm sure we'll be back to sort that out.
Warren got to ride shotgun with David in the 8 wheeler truck with the 4 axle trailer doing a delivery to Tauranga. Just quietly I think he fancies himself in a pair of stubbie shorts tooting his airhorn around the countryside.......
It was a full house with 3 girls under 5......
Might have to wait for our intrpid travellers to send us photographic evidence when they get home, but for the rest of you - here's Emilys latest.
posted by Redwoods @ 11:04 PM
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Life with Rick, Keighley and Emily Redwood.
bike mad - need help and more hours to ride
