New Bike Day: Velduro Rogue – Built Local, Ridden Hard
Photos by @rach.hadfield & @jeffcarter21
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The guided shuttle service made everything effortless. It was great to have maximum time on the trails without having to worry about logistics, and our driver Peter had some great stories about the history of the trail network.
I can’t recommend this experience highly enough, and hope I’m able to make another trip here sometime in the future!
Will definitely be returning for another session.
Highly recommended for any MTBiker regardless of skill or experience level.
I'll be back in a few months' time when these skills have sunk in, for another lesson.
Jamie seemed to know all the trails like the back of his hand – he was able to give us a run- down of all the upcoming trails, a heads up on all the terrain features, and was able to adapt trails as we went. He also gave us both riding and travel recommendations for the rest of our NZ trip. Sure, you could have had a “similar” experience guiding yourself with Trail Forks, but the comfort of having a very experienced guide in an unfamiliar area allowed us to get a ton of extremely fun riding in without much brain power. Having Jamie as a guide was absolutely invaluable, and I would highly recommend booking with New Zealand Mountain Biking if you want to get the ultimate NZ mountain biking experience.
I don’t choose bikes lightly. If something earns a spot in my shed, it’s because it actually works on real trails, with real riders, in real conditions. This new build that I put 500km on in the first week does exactly that.
This is my Velduro Rogue, size medium (I am 177cm tall), set up full 29er, with 172mm of rear travel and 170mm up front. It’s a proper e-mountain bike. It’s built to be ridden hard, not babied, and it’s stacked with New Zealand–made components, which matters more than ever.
Why This Build Works
Rotorua trails are demanding. Long descents, braking bumps, roots, compressions, steep chutes, and the kind of corners that expose weak setups instantly. This bike is built for that.
The key details:
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Frame: Velduro Rogue – designed and built in New Zealand powered by the Avinox system. Check out my settings here.
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Wheels: Full 29-inch setup for speed, rollover, and stability
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Suspension: Suspension Tech International ST 29 A Kit Coil Shock
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172mm rear travel
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170mm front travel (Fox 38)
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Cranks: Lekkie Nucleus ISIS, 155mm – short, strong, and perfect for technical terrain
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Wheelset: Wheelworks W:one alloy rims – tough, serviceable, no-nonsense. Full 29-inch setup for speed, rollover, and stability
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Brakes: Radic Kaha – powerful, consistent, and built for aggressive riding with 220mm Rotors front and rear.
This isn’t a showroom bike. It’s a tool. One I’ll be riding, coaching on, guiding with, and pushing properly.
Why Supporting Local Actually Matters
Here’s the straight-up truth:
When you support local brands, you’re backing people who ride the same trails, deal with the same conditions, and actually stand behind their products.
Velduro, Lekkie, Wheelworks, Radic, Suspension Tech International – these are New Zealand companies building gear for New Zealand riding. If something breaks, wears, or needs tweaking, you’re not dealing with an offshore warranty maze. You’re dealing with humans who care.
That matters when you ride a lot. It matters even more when you guide and coach for a living.
This isn’t the first time I’ve gone down this route either. I built my Zerode Katipo using components from the same New Zealand companies, rode it hard, and trusted it in real-world conditions. They held up, performed exactly as they should, and made sense for the way I ride and work. That experience is the reason I’ve used the same brands again on the Velduro Rogue — proven gear, built locally, that actually delivers on the trail. Reliability matters!
Riding This Bike Where It Belongs
This Velduro Rogue is going to spend most of its life in Whakarewarewa Forest and going out on backcountry missions because that’s where it shines. Steep tech, fast flow, long days, gnarly climbs, it handles it all.
As an e-bike, it’s not about cheating climbs. It’s about:
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Doing more quality laps
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Spending less time wrecked between runs
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Coaching effectively without blowing the legs
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Keeping groups moving smoothly on guided rides
That’s the reality of modern riding and modern coaching.
Come Ride With Us
If you’re coming to Rotorua and want to:
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Ride the best trails without guessing
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Learn how to actually use your bike properly
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Get faster, smoother, and more confident
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Or just have a solid day riding with locals
Then come ride with us.
We offer coaching, lessons, and guided rides in Whakarewarewa Forest for riders on mountain bikes and e-mountain bikes. Whether you’re new to Rotorua or you’ve ridden here before, you’ll get more out of the trails with the right guidance.
This bike is part of the toolkit, but the real value is experience, local knowledge, and good riding habits.
If you see me out there on the Rogue, say hi.
Then let’s go ride.
At New Zealand Mountain Biking, we run epic mountain biking tours across the scenic North Island, New Zealand. We also help riders build confidence and skills in our MTB and eMTB private lessons on the legendary Rotorua trails. If you race or you want to get into some racing and you want to improve those skills, get in touch for some lessons!
You can learn more about our trips here to book your ride today!
Check Availability
Check out our YouTube channel to see us ride as I chase people down all of the trails in Rotorua and NZ!
