Lining up at the start of the Whaka 100, there’s an air of nervousness as the morning mist lifts to reveal a clear, crisp morning and a sea of hardy souls gathered at the start line of a big day on the bike. Some will know what they’re in for, others will not have a clue. I know what I’m in for, but not exactly ready for it. Sitting atop a bike in the middle of this crowd and scanning the scene, it’s obvious there’s quite the cross-section of society on the starting grid. I’m seeing every embodiment of nervousness, from nail-biting to full-belly laughs and a load of people generally fidgeting with nervous excitement. Just who are these people, I wonder? My mind drifts, and I make my own assumptions: Denise the Doctor, Darryn the Dentist., Eddy the ebiker.... Denise the Doctor She’s a few years retired from top-level competition but still exudes an air of casual confidence. Unlike most of her male counterparts, she juggled training to be a race-winning athlete with working towards becoming a Doctor, and now with a flexible schedule she’s pulled out her dated but high-end bike, pumped up the tyres, lubed the chain, and is keen to dip her toe back in some XC racing. Her kit doesn’t fit quite like it used to, and she’s not sure what the well-worn Chamois in her shorts will feel after 6 plus hours in the saddle. She’s ready to ride rings around people half her age and be back at work seeing patients at 9 am tomorrow, Denise is a legend both on the bike and down at the Surgery, she’s got two distinctly different persona’s, one: a lycra clad race winner, and the other a scrubs wearing life saver. Darryn the Dentist. I spot Darryn the dentist. He’s just picked up a brand new Turquoise bike, complete with the latest electronic shifting and suspension. With a fresh kit and helmet just for the occasion, aside from his lack of preparation and fitness, Darryn won’t let anything stop him from being the best he can be today. Barely able to tell a tyre lever from a toilet brush, if he has any sort of mechanical while out on the course, he’ll be waiting for a good samaritan to help his plight. However the day goes, one things for sure: Darryn’s gum health is second to none! Eddy the Ebiker. What do you call a group of Ebikers? Is there a relevant noun that’s being used to describe them these days? Whatever they’re called, there are some common threads that identify the group members. Over suspended, overpowered and overweight; bikes, that is. This is the group where we find bikes that can tackle all terrains and all occasions, with enough suspension to take on the gnarliest descents (beyond the level which they’ll see today) and enough power to get up the steepest hills, of which they’ll be seeing plenty today! I am unsure why, maybe it's a dress-up challenge of sorts, whatever the case, many riders are dressed as Gladiators; full-face helmets, body armour and knee pads - they’re ready to joust, their foe for the day being the Whaka course. For many in this group, the question is which will give out first, their battery capacity or their legs?! Sandy the stay-at-home Mum. Sandy is ready to show some serious grit and prove that she can do hard things, although truth be told, her Whaka experience will be nothing compared to birthing 3 children. Sandy's picked her favourite gleaming white (son to be dusty brown) running shoes, Lulu tights and an oh-so-hot-right-now oversized fitness tee. She knows that her eyeliner will be running down her face just a few kilometres in, but it’s part of her “start line look” and gives her confidence, starting her day off in the right mindset. Sandy’s ready to show the world that even though her training has consisted solely of hours of folding washing, and tidying up after the kids, she has more grit and a higher pain threshold than the MAMILS (one of which is her husband) with their long Saturday morning jaunts with “the boys” and structured hill-repeats during the week; they’ve got nothing on this mother of 3, and caretaker of 1 adult child, aka her husband. Go, Sandy! Kyle, the cocky young upstart. All brawn, no brains, Kyle spends their Saturdays shuttling Hill Road with their homies, cell phones in hand, and GoPros on their heads, waiting to grab their next “insta-banger” and clock up a record of new likes. Baggy shorts and a cotton tee, the Young Upstart is the antithesis of Darryn the Dentist. Encouraged to “get out and do some pedalling” by their parents, who are riding the event too, this young upstart is now about to show them who’s boss and do it all on a single water bottle and a Snickers bar. If you listen carefully during the day, you’ll hear the Kyles of the event moaning about the climbs, then buzzing your back tyre as they try to pass you on the descents. Don’t be concerned, though, Kyle’s running low on liquids and, on the next climb, will likely experience leg-locking cramps like never before; if you thought Kyle was whinging a lot on the last climb, you ain’t heard nothing yet! ![]() ✒️ Lester Perry Lester is a Whaka 100 alumni, co-host of the OTB Podcast and is finding his way into endurance MTB after a life of gravity focussed riding. He writes for New Zealand Mountain Biker Magazine and New Zealand Cycling Journal. His favourite trail in the Whaka is Kung Fu Walrus. Find him: @lesterperryNZ PS. The legends in these photos are in no way the inspiration for Lester's musing.
|