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The challenge of riding beyond my perceived limits.

Rotorua, New Zeland.

I have been to the following places with my bike: All around Australia (Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, Nothern Territory); New Zealand North Island (many times); London, UK; Colorado (and New Mexico), USA; Taiwan (currently). I have been to the following places without my bike: Hawaii, Thailand, Laos, India, New Zealand South Island, Paris.

I recently offloaded a few bikes for travel purposes including my beautiful 2005 S-WORKS Tarmac road bike (sob, sob) and now am the proud owner of the following: AVANTI Pista fixie track bike (with bullhorns and a cool horn) - the town bike; GIANT XTC Single Speed (painted off-white with carbon RaceFace everything, MAVIC 717's and Avid SD V-brakes) - the sweet off-road commuter; 2007 GIANT XTC C0 (XTR, Juicy Ultimate, CrossMax SLR, RaceFace carbon) - the XC race bike; 2007 GIANT Anthem Advanced (XTR, CrossMax SLR, RaceFace carbon) - the enduro race bike.

The 'Pondy New' trail in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest (pronounced Farkarewarewa) which I discovered this year. It's about 10 minutes of sweet, gentle downhill on soft, loamy pine forest singletrack with berms on every corner. You can ride this trail as fast (or slow) as you like and have an absolute ball.

Since riding in rocky Colorado, my new favourite tip for off-road riding is 'Pedal, pedal, pedal' when things get tough. My other favourite tip is 'Look where you want to go not where you are trying to avoid'.

Always my most recent MTB trip to New Zealand.

No-handed track stands.

Two Dutch girls are riding their old rickety bikes down the back streets of Amsterdam one late afternoon. As it turns closer towards dusk, the increasing darkness of the streets starts making the two girls a little nervous when one girl leans over to the other and says, "You know, I've never come this way before." The other girl says, "It's the cobblestones."