2026/2027
Choose your fighter.
New season, new faces, here’s the full team (we are stacked this year.)
Summer’s creeping in, the trails are getting busy and we’re pretty bloody excited for another season of riding in Queenstown. We’ve got a few new faces joining the crew this year, so we thought it was about time we introduce you.
Some are seasoned veterans. Some are fresh recruits. None are particularly normal.
So, meet the crew, get to know the faces and pick your team. We’ve grouped everyone by where they’re from, with the groms getting a team of their own – they’re a different species altogether.
Welcome to the Bikeaholic character select screen.
We’re starting on home turf with a couple of OGs, a new challenger and absolutely no sign of professionalism. It's Team New Zealand!
First up head mechanic Jarna – the brains of Team NZ, just about keeping the wheels on while juggling 47 internal crises. (Heavy on the just about.) Protected by an impenetrable wall of heavy sarcasm.
And Millie, website gal and Team NZ's enforcer. The boys never know when a headlock is coming, only that one eventually will. A couple of beers just speed up the process. Will happily sacrifice a foot in the name of workplace wrestling. (Just ask Nehuen.)
Enter wildcard Ollie, fresh from Wellington. Quiet rentals assassin, until provoked. We haven't seen what happens next, and frankly, we're not keen to find out. When he's not keeping us on our toes, he's busy putting away enough KFC to feed a small village.
With a lineup packing some of the most questionable special abilities we've ever seen, Team England might be one to watch. Or avoid. We're not entirely sure yet.
First up, returning Sales Guy Jethro (Jeffrey), armed with an alarming amount of plane knowledge and the ability to send anyone into a full-blown meltdown with a single or 1 million aviation facts. The choice is not yours.
Joining him are our two new English challengers!
The weapon of absolute destruction Alfie, our new Sales Guy and resident appliance eliminator. Toaster? Gone. Cheese toastie press? Obliterated. Kettle? Not on his watch. We're not sure what beef he has with appliances but this one is best kept away from the staff room.
And finally Ben, our Wheel Guy and endurance king. He could outlast just about anyone, but his real specialty? Sexy fairy and dragon literature. He's brought a whole new meaning to workshop story time, and the boys are getting an education they didn't sign up for. Give it time and there won’t be a mechanic left who isn’t reading fairy romance. You can run, but you can't hide. One by one, you will all be converted.
Enter Team Australia. A seriously dangerous lineup. Two long-time Bikeaholics, one of whom is 50% responsible for this whole operation. What could possibly go wrong?
First up, the dangerously dangerous Liam. Manager by title, phone answerer by ability. He leaves us quaking in our boots.
And then there's Justin, co-owner and chief architect of his own problems. A man who can dream up a million side projects, sign himself up for all of them, then bury his head in the sand when it comes to actually fixing them. Much like his spirit animal, the ostrich, he's happiest head down, arse up, (his words not mine) pretending everything is under control. (It isn't.)
There's now enough Scots to form a full team, and frankly, we're not sure what to do.
Introducing Team Scotland.
First up, of course, Mat. Co-owner, professional heckler and whisky enthusiast. His special abilities include but are only limited to making whisky disappear. Some say he runs the shop. Others say he just shouts Scottish things to try to get people to do what he wants. It never works.
Hello new recruit Angus, mechanic and apparently part-man, part-gymnast. The man can do the splits anywhere, anytime. He rides in the splits. He eats in the splits. We're not entirely sure how he manages the rest of daily life, but we're too afraid to ask. Next time you spot him on the trails or at the pub, just ask him to do the splits. He'll absolutely love to show you.
We have another female in the ranks! And this one has a knack for disappearing. Introducing sales assassin Katy. Nobody knows what she's up to, where she's going or what she's plotting next. Large riding missions? Fighting extraterrestrials? Stealing a Highland cow? Going undercover to infiltrate a haggis smuggling ring? Visiting the PaknSave? Honestly, your guess is as good as ours.
There's been an alliance. France and Argentina have joined forces to create one superpower: Team Fragentina. A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH.
Two mechanics one goal. Total world takeover.
First challenger, our Argentinian Nehuen. Cool, calm and collected on the outside, but don't let that fool you. He's always off doing some ridiculous multisport mission, seemingly collecting extreme sports and broken bones as a hobby. A foot-breaking menace disguised as a chill dude. He strikes when you least expect it. Your feet are never safe.
Next up, our token Frenchie Sacha. This man has elevated napping to an Olympic sport. He can sleep through a Jarna workshop meltdown, a fire alarm and possibly the apocalypse. His special ability? Hibernation on demand. Wake him only if absolutely necessary. Or there's cheese involved. Actually, just bring cheese. If it's not the French kind you will perish.
Last but certainly not least, it's the youngest challengers in the Bikeaholic arena. The young but mighty, questionably supervised and probably already up to no good. Meet Team Groms!
First up, Finn. Cool as a cucumber, not a worry in the world and seemingly allergic to silence. Runs entirely on good vibes and an endless supply of chat. Could probably talk his way through a zombie apocalypse without breaking a sweat.
Then there's Leo, our very own silent assasin. Quiet, unassuming and a guy of very few words. But don't let that fool you. A sneaky little operator with a suspicious amount going on behind those eyes. Never one to make a scene, but we're fairly certain he's responsible for at least 50% of the mischief around here. We just haven't caught him yet.
That's your 2026/27 lineup. Choose your team wisely.