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My Favourite Bike Yet: Riding the Zerode Katipō “Kiwi Build” on Rotorua’s K2 Trail

My Favourite Bike Yet: Riding the Zerode Katipō “Kiwi Build” on Rotorua’s K2 Trail

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Love the look of these trails? Exploring Rotorua with a local guide means you skip the guesswork and head straight to the best lines, views, and flow. Want to sharpen your skills too? Our coaching sessions are designed to help you ride smoother, faster, and with more confidence on every trail. Book your next ride or lesson with us.

New Zealand Mountain Biking
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R Sharp
06:35 12 Apr 25
Well worth doing. I had a great 1:1 lesson with Asher. He worked quickly through basics and then into some tips and tricks on specific areas to help improve speed and flow through trails. I immediately saw the positive impact from the new skills and have a much better understanding of what to focus on and think about on a ride. Thank you Asher. I’ll be back again.
Phil Irons
05:03 31 Mar 25
My 3-hour lesson with Jamie set me up with essential, introductory skills including optimum riding positions, trail awareness, braking insights and how to negotiate terrain changes and drops - as a result a massive improvement in confidence, speed and flow especially on downhill tracks. Extremely worthwhile!
Daniel Lawrence
05:50 03 Mar 25
5 stars all day. Jamie helped us piece together our riding puzzle, turning advanced tracks from a bit of hoping for the best into a smooth, controlled and confident ride, almost overnight. Such a simple approach but so effective.
Andy Evins
23:02 23 Feb 25
If I could give 6 out of 5 stars I would! Jaime w/New Zealand Mountain Biking was an amazing guide full of an in depth knowledge of all the trails we rode! My wife and I could have simply tried our best to navigate the trails in Rotorua but with Jaime’s help we were able to have a stress free epic adventure navigating a wide variety of trails plus as a bonus, he put up with my endless questions about the area. If you looking for a guide, stop looking and hire Jaime!
Fernanda Mejia
23:01 23 Feb 25
We booked 4 days of private guided tours with Jamie and it was incredible. We rode Whakarewarewa Forest, Maunga Kākaramea and did a heli shuttle ride around the Kaimanawa Range. All four days were amazing, packed with some of the best riding this area has to offer. Jamie works with you to tailor the trip according to your riding skills and goes above and beyond to make sure you’re having heaps of fun. I would definitely recommend him and his company!
Beki Wurster
05:55 24 Dec 24
Absolutely worth the money for lessons! I think I progressed more in a day and a half with Jamie than I have the last 7 months of living and riding in Rotorua. We had a really nice time working on technique and building skills, but I didn’t realize just how much it helped until we went out for our next ride and suddenly “scary” features felt easy and in control.
Mark Shepheard
19:38 18 Dec 24
We booked via Jamie and he arranged a ride training session with Asher for my 12 year old son Kobe. It was a great session at Redwoods. Anyone who has been here would understand that it has trails all over the place. The session was for the team to provide coaching but also to assist in showing the best trails for Kobes ability. It was a great experience for Kobe and we will be back for another session in the future. Highly recommend if you visit rotarua and you don't know the hill that well book in a session as it will be well worth it.
Philip Goldsmith
03:17 28 Nov 24
I can't say enough about riding with Jamie and New Zealand MTB for a few days this November. Progression leaps and bounds, world class trail systems, Jamie's ability to sort out the best trails for us on the fly, and last but not least his low key sense of hospitality felt just like riding and hanging with friends at home. Already planning our return next year 🙂
Sean Patrick
23:42 19 Nov 24
Jamie with New Zealand Mountain Biking was an amazing guide and it was an outstanding experience. My wife and I did the Hero Dirt Mountain Bike Tour late Oct 2024 and it was an excellent mix of riding in different regions with different scenes. Jamie was very receptive to what we enjoyed, and he tailored the trails to our riding style and skill level. The food and accommodations were great, and we felt very well taken care of. The Hero Dirt tour was the perfect way of introducing us to the mountain biking in the region/New Zealand (my wife and I are both from Canada and we primarily ride enduro in BC and AB). It was a great mix of shuttling and pedalling days, and the heli-bike-trip at the end was amazing. After the Hero Dirt Mountain Bike Tour, my wife and I continued to mountain bike multiple regions in the North and South Island, and I would have to say that the mountain biking we did with Jamie in Rotorua was definitely the best.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.
Nicole Rattray
04:21 29 Mar 24
Jamie from New Zealand Mountain Bike was amazing! We couldn't have asked for a better guide who took us to amazing trails that suited our riding style. Everyone felt so comfortable with Jamie and he gave some great pointers too. We had a group with all different riding styles and he made sure everyone had the best experience. He also made sure we didn't go hungry. If you want to see the best of Rotoruas Redwoods, book in with these guys!

Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa Forest is world-famous for a reason — epic singletrack, grippy dirt, and technical terrain that pushes both rider and bike. In my latest ride, I hit the K2 Trail with what might just be my favourite setup yet: the Zerode Katipō “Kiwi Build”.

This build isn’t just special because it’s designed right here in New Zealand — it’s the way each component comes together to handle everything Rotorua’s trails can throw at it.

The idea to try to put a bike together with NZ made parts came about a few years ago. But on my way home from Pakistan while killing time waiting for a flight I decided that now was the time to try to make this happen. It is a build that I am proud to be riding with as many NZ parts as possible, all pulled together into a sick enduro bike. The Katipō – Kiwi Build!

The Zerode Katipō “Kiwi Build” — A New Zealand Engineering Masterpiece

The Zerode Katipō has become a go-to for riders who want a blend of low-maintenance reliability and top-end performance. The Katipō’s gearbox drivetrain eliminates derailleur issues entirely, making it the perfect match for Rotorua’s ever-changing trail conditions.

The “Kiwi Build” spec takes things even further, combining some of New Zealand’s best component choices for an unbeatable trail machine.

The Build Breakdown — Made to Conquer the Trail

On this build, I’ve paired the Katipō with some seriously dialled kit:

  • 💥 Suspension Tech International tuned suspension: delivering ultimate grip and plush performance through every root and drop on the Trail. The extra grip and ability to take the big hits with this one is unbelievable at first. Planted yet playful – just the way I like it.

  • 🛑 Radic Performance KAHA Brakes: offering precision control and impressive stopping power, perfect for steep descents and tight trail features. The super light feel and insane power reduce fatige and increase control allowing you to be off the brakes more.

  • ⚙️ Lekkie Cranks: a lightweight, super-strong upgrade designed to handle the demands of enduro-style riding and aggressive trail use. Not only light and strong, but they look sick!

  • 🔥 Wheelworks Flite Enduro Wheels: built for strength, speed, and reliability, these wheels kept the ride smooth and composed, even when K2’s roots tried to say otherwise. Light wheels mean more maneuverability but strength is not something I want to sacrifice; these wheels stay true!

  • ⚙️ BrakeAce Sensors: brake sensors know your every braking event along the trail – from long to short, heavy to light, and modulated to even – and sends the data wirelessly to your phone. All the analysis is done for you.

Why K2 in Rotorua is the Perfect Test Ground

The K2 trail is packed with everything you want in a proper Rotorua challenge — tight corners, steep sections, roots, flow, and a few sneaky surprises along the way. This isn’t just a test of your bike, it’s a test of your technique.

Riding the Katipō with this component setup was a total game-changer. Confident cornering, predictable handling, and smooth suspension performance made K2 not just rideable, but super confident, which makes it ridiculously fun.

K2 was the perfect way to tell you all about this sweet bike staying true to my style, telling you all about it while ripping a super fun track!

Want to Explore More Trails Like K2? Skills Make the Difference.

The right bike is a huge part of the puzzle, but having the right skills is what really unlocks Rotorua’s best trails. At New Zealand Mountain Biking, we offer tailored Rotorua mountain bike lessons to help you build confidence and flow, whether you’re riding the Katipō or any other setup.

Our coaches can help you:

✅ Ride smoother and faster through technical terrain
✅ Master cornering, braking, and body positioning
✅ Build the confidence to explore more of Rotorua’s epic trail network

Ready to Ride?

If you’re inspired to hit the K2 trail or explore the endless variety Rotorua offers, now’s the time to level up. Book a Rotorua MTB lesson with us today and turn new trails into new adventures.

👉 Book your skills session here

And if you haven’t seen it yet, check out the full ride video on YouTube:
🎥 My Favourite Bike Yet — Zerode Katipō “Kiwi Build” | K2 Trail, Rotorua

This build isn’t just special because it’s designed right here in New Zealand — it’s the way each component comes together to handle everything Rotorua’s trails can throw at it.

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!

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