Mountain Biking Craigieburn, New Zealand, with Sacred Rides

Craigieburn was what we had been waiting for the whole trip. A few tough climbs and a few great descents. Great mountain bike trails, great scenery and a great day.
This was just one day of Sacred Rides "Misty Mountain Hop". BOOK WITH CODE BKXC AND GET $100 OFF YOUR TRIP: goo.gl/CGSoCu
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[@brokenriders8563]

It's reassuring to know that it's not only me that laughs at those points on the trail where your skills are stretched to the limit and the trail just keeps on throwing up bigger and tougher challenges. Love it!

[@jkamer2168]

The best feeling!!!!

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, yep!

[@TrailPeek]

Craigieburn was one of my favorite riding zones on my NZ trip! Nice work. The Edge trail above the luge is soo good, and you can add in a huge scree slope freeride descent to the start for extra epicness!

[@bkxc]

Whoa, nice! Just another trail to add to the list for next time!

[@dirragon1]

Dude these trails were rad. And I could be wrong, but I think you're getting faster? Whether you are or not, some of those sections were wicked fast! Nice job man.

[@bkxc]

It was a great day out there! I hope I'm getting faster with all this riding I'm doing!

[@TheSoldkall]

For crying out loud Brian, that's insanely nice trails and scenery !

[@bkxc]

Yeah it was a great one!

[@nlespersen]

Started watching your videos last month I think. They are super addictive. You're always so cheerful, and you ride some amazing trails! Love watching your stuff, keep it up!

[@bkxc]

Thanks so much Nic! So glad you're enjoying the vids!

[@nath5440]

Def the best day of trails of seen from your NZ trip! awesome looking single track with killer views! Nice

[@bkxc]

Yeah man, it was a good one!

[@chadashton7029]

NZ has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth! I'll never be fortunate enough to visit but at least I can ride there through your videos. Thanks!

[@bkxc]

It's definitely amazing!

[@whiplash231]

I had to rewatch this as I am doing an epic ride in Craigeburn next Saturday!

[@martinm711]

your vids are soo fun to watch by trying to imagine being on your MTB riding these nice trails!!

[@bkxc]

Glad you're digging them!

[@MegaTrdi]

Nice tracks, beautiful scenery. That's it.

[@bkxc]

Definitely a great day!

[@jkamer2168]

You crack me up with forgetting your suspension! I love it! hahahha! Great vid!!!!

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, ALWAYS!!

[@ClarkyNZ71]

We are so lucky to have this an hour up the road from home. Just rode these on Tuesday. Thanks for showing them off so well!

[@bkxc]

That's so cool! Glad I did it justice.

[@ClarkyNZ71]

Mr Kennedy, your videos (and Instagram photos) rock. You captured the Old Ghost Road well too.

[@bkxc]

Thanks man!!

[@cmichael7651]

HELLUVA VID!!! love the 15+min vids. absolutely incredible scenery man, you are blessed to see all these parts of the world.

[@bkxc]

Thanks dude, glad you enjoyed it!

[@eddarell9474]

Beautiful! Slicing & dicing through the trees we go!

[@bkxc]

Yeah, this was one of the best days in NZ

[@jonmarshall1502]

Oh my gosh you lucky son of a gun! That my friend was gorgeous to watch. No more words, just gorgeous.👍🏻👍🏻

[@bkxc]

Thanks so much Jon!

[@mikem1286]

the places you ride always look like lots of fun

[@bkxc]

This one was a blast!

[@mountaintime4276]

I wasn't too thrilled with New Zealand until this ride. Looked like a great day!

[@bkxc]

Yep, finally got in a killer ride!

[@peterschaer6311]

This video made me pucker. Damn dude! Great ride. Thanks for bringing us along.

[@bkxc]

Haha thanks Peter!

[@bermsky]

Beautiful scenery and riding! Good times!

[@bkxc]

Thanks dude!

[@dankozak1080]

Prob my fav so far. Looked like a ton of fun and great scenery.

[@bkxc]

Yeah, it was a good time!

[@mtbfiend4170]

Definitely one for the bucket list!!

[@bkxc]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@leonardgriffiths3798]

wow, everything looks so cool out there i need to make it out there someday. great vid as usual!!!

[@bkxc]

Yeah! It's a great place to ride

[@AndreasAkana]

Those trails are mental and the scenery is absolutely awesome! Definitely I will put New Zealand to my MTB bucket list :D

[@bkxc]

Yeah, it's a great one!

[@anthonyhan4019]

That looked like a lot of fun! You are looking faster and more fluid😃

[@bkxc]

Thanks man, it was tons of fun!

[@JustaMountainbiker]

Amazing Brian! Been with you since like 30 subs and look at you..! I've actually bought an Gimbal myself now, gonna try to make some sweet content. You're an inspiring person. Really happy i found your channel back then!

[@bkxc]

Nice dude!! Glad you're still sticking around!

[@Cartsp70]

I love the trees ! 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳!!! Nice !!

[@SilveryFoxster]

I watched this clip on my phone whilst spinning at the gym. Great combo man, in my mind I was shredding the trail. Good shit indeed homie, thanks for all your videos 👍

[@bkxc]

Hahaha thanks dude

[@MitchWarren44]

I could smell the summer in that video Brian!!!!

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, getting closer every day!

[@TonyFernandezjkdjedi]

love them open country trails, looks awesome.

[@bkxc]

Me too! Such a great day

[@rigorhead01]

What an awesome ride!! Love it!!

[@bkxc]

Thanks Hollis, it was a great day

[@johntwerp]

That was fantastic. Made all of that climbing worth it!

[@bkxc]

Definitely worth it! Such a great day.

[@phantomrider86]

Great video, Brian! Awesome trail system, they must have been a blast to ride! I could actually see the difference in your video from when you had your suspension locked out vs. unlocked. The video was much smoother once you unlocked the suspension.

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, yep, I just thought it was a ROUGH trail, I'm clueless!

[@philgunn6803]

That was an awesome looking ride! Great video Brian

[@bkxc]

Thanks Phil!

[@MTBdropIN]

The streams get my blood flowing!!!

[@bkxc]

Haha yeah they're so much fun, never know if you can make it or not!

[@garydecker3281]

That looked so fun!!!

[@bkxc]

Thanks Gary!

[@jordankeeler7297]

Awesome video! Fast and flowy with some incredible views

[@bkxc]

Thanks dude! It was a blast

[@OPPIDUM666]

WOWWWWWWWWW SO Brutal Trails ... Dream Trails ... so good to see... Tnks for this video ... Great great great ... ( and unlock ur suspension ) heheh PAIN AND PLEASURE

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, thank Ricardo!

[@lukewardle3515]

Great vid. It's gotta be 10 years since I rode NZ. I'll have to go back one day.

[@bkxc]

Yeah, I'm already wanting to go back!

[@lukewardle3515]

Especially as it's summer there right now!

[@RyanBoardman234s]

Conditions look perfect for this ride!

[@bkxc]

Hero dirt and a half!

[@marcosgomez2755]

No me canso de ver tus vídeos gracias por compartirlos.

[@RidgeRiderMTB]

Glorious ride. Cant wait for spring :)

[@bkxc]

One step closer every day!

[@rdevil25]

Awesome Video Brian \m/ Rock and Roll

[@bkxc]

☝️🎅 Ooooooh yeah, brother! Thanks dude

[@Mr_RichardH]

Looks like a Big Day Out. Nice riding.

[@bkxc]

Great day out!

[@donaldcox9798]

Enjoy all you videos man !!! keep them coming. This one is my favorite, I was thinking the whole time. Wonder when he's gonna stop and unlock the suspension, bikes bouncing around alot Hahaha.

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, I friggin' talked about it at the beginning of the ride too! Glad this was your favorite and that you're digging what I'm doing.

[@donaldcox9798]

seriously good luck with your channel, once again, i enjoy the hell out of it. you inspire me to go out and ride. Hats off to you for leaving your job and chasing a dream. I admire that, again best of luck to/ your channel. Ever make you way to New York ride Stewart DEC land, that's the place I ride. no ware close to as nice as the trails you ride but it has a little bit of everything and pretty nice considering its in new York. love to see it hit your channel one day. Again awsome video bro !!!

[@bkxc]

Thanks man, it's really so amazing to inspire so many people and somehow pull together a few bucks doing it! Nice, I always love trail suggestions.

[@JustinCaseWages]

What impresses me the most is the fact that in so many of your videos you are riding them blind. It's really difficult to ride fast, hard and safely when you don't know the trail. Good stuff bro!

[@bkxc]

Thanks Justin! I need a "riding blind" t shirt

[@JustinCaseWages]

ohh and you need a BKXC sticker on your stem, top bar or handlebar! Good place to put your sponsors too.

[@bkxc]

Yes! I was thinking the same thing. I think I'll make a little more crazy colored one for that purpose!

[@SkillsWithPhil]

ARE THE HOBBITS IN THE EXTENDED CUT?!

[@bkxc]

Yep, Bilmo, Schbildo and Frudo all appear!

[@oldmanjeepingandbiking9621]

from video clips, this looks like the best day in New Zealand yet

[@bkxc]

Definitely!

[@NerdsonDirtMTB]

Great vid! I was like "hmmmm whats that banging sound?" Then you said it, rear shock was locked out lol

[@bkxc]

Hahahaha, always something!

[@michael.finally]

As a downhiller, leaning my bike is an entire body experience. For a right turn, I pull my bars down with my right hand, then point my right knee towards the inside of the turn. The body remains mostly upright, and the weight centered, but the bike leans far over. The key is really to keep weight on the outside of the turn, that way you have more grip. Although at altitude it can be hard because altitude just fucks everything about you up.

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, damn altitude! Good stuff man

[@gabrielbuhler9796]

@BKXC unrelated to the video, but I just wanted to say that your recommendation of the Fat Paw Grips for big-handed folk has been a game changer! Been on two rides with mine so far and the increased diameter has gotten rid of any grip pain that accompanied long rides before! Thank You!

[@bkxc]

Hell yeah! Glad you dig them too. I just bought a black version that will be going on the bike once I get some new end caps.

[@gabrielbuhler9796]

BKXC yeah I also followed Seth's advice and got the lock on end caps to go with the Fat Paws!!! Perfecto!

[@bkxc]

Awesome! I've got an order from KustomCaps.com coming. Keep an eye on my Instagram Stories!

[@eddymason-pooley8837]

really enjoying the New Zealand vids! :)

[@bkxc]

Awesome, thanks!

[@Trapb564]

your channel is what inspired me to start young and get a specialized, I'm only 14 so I got lots of room to improve ☺

[@bkxc]

That's awesome, man! I wish I started that young!

[@philippelanteigne5352]

Nice looking trail! Love the bIkes tree.

[@bkxc]

Haha yeah the tree was fun

[@rebeticstone]

now we are talking! so great video would love the full cut

[@bkxc]

Yeah, great ride! Full cut has been on Patreon for a couple weeks!

[@Bjoggi308]

Ahhhh.. It's all making sense.. Now I totally get why you want to focus on XC racing and training this year. Nothing bruises and/or motivates an ego like hormones. :-) That lunch looked awesome. I love cucumber on my sandwiches. But I can't eat much while riding, if I want to continue on afterwards. Gotta keep it light but nutritious. Those NZ trails look much better than previous. Technical and tight in places with great flow in between and sweet water crossings. Sacred Rides sure seem to take good care of their customers. Some of those climbs looked absolutely sole crushing. Ughhh. Hearing you struggle to talk is a sure sign you were above your lactic threshold, but you had some great pointers on keeping your cool during trying times on the trail. So important to keep your head in the came above all else. Few things scare me more than fast narrow rutted trails in flatlands (14:00) with tall grass hiding sightlines. My nemesis for sure. Encouraging to hear that I'm not the only one that is weary of conditions like that. Sweet vid like usual. Keep up the great work.

[@bkxc]

Yeah those grassy flatlands were neat but treacherous!! Our guides Ben and Cristina took AWESOME care of us the whole time. This was a great technical ride, tons of fun!

[@maximusmarzy]

Great riding Brian. Trails look better than the last couple you've ridden? In your future expeditions are you planning on learning to jump... pump tracks etc etc?

[@bkxc]

Yeah, this trail was ridiculously great after a few days of pretty mellow riding. I may do some jumps eventually, we'll see.

[@arkaedg]

Great Video and AWSOME Ride!

[@bkxc]

Thanks man!!

[@mannyfnsc29]

Man, I wish I had views like that while riding.. awesome.

[@bkxc]

It was awesome!!

[@PL-fh8cz]

Nice trails... I've only ridden (and hiked) in the North Island and this makes me want to go back and ride around Lake Wanaka and Nelson.

[@bkxc]

Yeah there's some good stuff!

[@mountaindirtbikingwithjere3370]

Super nice trails and super nice video!

[@bkxc]

Thanks so much Jere!

[@Mauricio1141]

nice move BK, getting behind the lady to get some extra motivation!

[@bkxc]

Anyone ahead of me is extra motivation!

[@papapelatomtb]

Fan Tas tic views Brian!! wow ! thanks for sharing !

[@bkxc]

Thanks Ivan!

[@Warrior6504]

It reminds me of Cumbria UK great trails but your scenery is better. Great video your so lucky. Can you have a walk round everybody's bike just to see what the other guys are riding.

[@bkxc]

Thanks dude! Already back home, but I'll try to remember to do some bike checks the next time I'm riding with buddies

[@Warrior6504]

BKXC cheers Brian.

[@YourNickIsTaken]

This is so much fun! I want to grab a bike and ride. Unfortunately I have to wait until it's not cold: right now it is -30F outside. But these videos are compensating this cold weather :)

[@bkxc]

Whew baby, -30 is rough!

[@deadeonzx]

If you can't find any loose spokes try a little chain lube on two fingers and lightly rub it on where the two spokes make contact. It might just be grinding itself a little bit now that the rims are nice and used. Hope this helps.

[@bkxc]

Nice! I'll definitely try that, thanks dude!

[@brokenriders8563]

Woah! That's a tough start to a trail!

[@bkxc]

Haha, up and up and up!

[@Cartsp70]

Nice climb Bri looking good 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👏👏

[@bkxc]

😁👍

[@magnifiresrealm]

Love the longer vids keep it up!

[@bkxc]

Thanks so much!

[@RGCastro7]

Hello, Brian. Man, that was a wicked ride! Kudos for being able to clear that initial climb when others couldn't. It's been funny to hear how, throughout the videos, you've grown a bit more liberal with your curses. It cracks me up when I hear you let loose, LOL. Dude, that singletrack was epic, and the "still no hobbits" was hilarious! That couple of older people was so cool; they were friendly, and I give them mad respect for being so active at their age! Is there a possibility they were hobbits? They didn't look that tall to me. Suspicious... Don't you find it more convenient to stop and unlock your suspension instead of risking either damaging a component or having an accident due to the reduced control a locked suspension will give you? I prefer to either slow down and unlock, or stop and unlock if it's too technical, but that's just me. The video was superb, Brian. We were lucky that you could film this one. Thanks for taking us along! Cheers, Renzo

[@bkxc]

Thanks Renzo!! I guess I could have stopped to unlock / lock but I was in the zone!

[@andrewdennis2647]

Brian, just found your channel, nice work. I worked out at Mt Cheeseman ski area, just up the road from Flock Hill, for a couple winters/summers. That's a special spot. Come to Italy any time, I'll put ya up. Then we rage Finale Ligure!

[@bkxc]

Welcome aboard Andre! Finale Ligure is definitely on the list. If you're still watching around December then shoot me an email [e-mail] and we can plan something for 2018.

[@olo606]

Nice Video. Reckon The Blue Tier in Tasmania needs to be on ya bucket list. It goes alright 😀

[@bkxc]

Blue Derby is high on the list my friend!!

[@wilhall3752]

Great Vid!!! Just wondering what do think is better a full-face or an xc helmet?

[@keeganobrien229]

Depends on what you do

[@bkxc]

Yep, Keegan is right. I know some people wear full-face all the time because they have had horrible crashes and don't want to lose their teeth AGAIN.

[@andreas1234671]

Please come to Austria this year brian :) grat video btw!

[@bkxc]

That'd be a great place to ride!

[@samuelgraf3192]

Trail-Hunters yes that would be super nice!

[@mikebussart2575]

Great day on the bike.

[@bkxc]

Definitely!

[@RidingWithJahv]

My heart drops anytime I see you near a cliff man lol

[@tobiasjensen4726]

Riding With Jahv same here

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, I'll be OK!

[@bkxc]

GOING FOR IT

[@RidingWithJahv]

Just watched, that shit was crazy!

[@mtlxc5586]

amazing! good video bro wow living the dream

[@bkxc]

Thanks Nelson, it was a great one!

[@shizzletrack]

Nice edit mate. Plenty of UK trails you need to check out this year!!

[@bkxc]

Yeah, dude, the list just grows longer every day! Good problem to have!

[@Stoney-g1o]

So beautiful. For some reason during the first part of the ride it felt like your handle bars were going to hit every tree.

[@bkxc]

Hahaha yeah they were close

[@mtb-jason4095]

Loving the videos 👌living the dream 👍

[@bkxc]

Thanks dude!

[@MTBdropIN]

Man that looked even bumpy for the gimbal, geez!!!

[@bkxc]

Big time!

[@ПавелЗайдов]

beautiful places !!!!!

[@bkxc]

☝️🎅 Ooooooh yeah, brother!

[@GoToAlps]

Dude! this last flowy part was dangerously fast :) #badassriding

[@bkxc]

There was some great riding that day!

[@padredeuno2001]

very nice!!! , I just started last year to ride trails and it is a lot of fun, ill die in something like this, need to practice more.... those gloves look very nice what brand are they?

[@bkxc]

Thanks man! I have a link to the gloves in the description.

[@JoshuaLTRyan]

Love those wooden bridge things. also I'm glad you didn't run over that nice old couple. :)

[@bkxc]

Yeah, the bridges are great and the rushing water below!

[@JoshuaLTRyan]

I fell off a skinny one once, luckily only two feet over the water that was 6 inches deep. At least is was comedy for the guys riding with me.

[@bkxc]

Hahaha, as long as no one gets hurt it's funny

[@bkxc]

But even then it's a little funny

[@rigorhead01]

Watching you ride, it's very obvious how much more capable your Bronson is on the descents than my Tallboy

[@bkxc]

Love my bike!

[@Bjoggi308]

Hollis Prince, just keep in mind that it's 80% rider, and 20% bike. Or something like that. The Tallboy is a very capable bike and IMHO would have rocked on that trail. You know, grass greener on the other side of the fence kinda thing. New guitar does not make you a better player :-) But I have to concur with BKXC, the Bronson just feels so lively and fun. Ya, it can suck on the climbs, but they are not fun anyways so... Trade-offs.

[@rigorhead01]

Yeah, I must agree! It's certainly all about the rider. I did however, add a new 2017 Fox 34 and some more aggressive tires (DHF and DHR II) and a Reverb and that certainly helped!!

[@Bjoggi308]

Nice improvements.. I have the a 2014 Fox 34 on my 29er XC and it does OK. The new ones have a much better damper, so you should be golden. And IMHO in order to get rowdy and happy on the trail, a dropper post is a MUST. DHF/DHR combo is a solid choice. Not the the fastest rolling, but works across the spectrum of soils. I run that combo exclusively on my AM rig. On the XC bike, I use the Minion SS rear in the summer dry sandy and hard-pack conditions.

[@jeffreymckinley2936]

Like every one else said great vid😎

[@bkxc]

Thanks Jeffrey!

[@far-goautoparts2161]

Good Stuff Brian!

[@bkxc]

Thanks Jeremy!

[@sorenmoore7358]

So sick I’ve ridden there. Good tracks

[@bkxc]

Very cool!

[@Hike_Bike_Explore]

looks like some damn narrow trails through the trees. waiting for you to catch your bars.

[@bkxc]

Yeah man, dicey stuff!

[@Mark-Huigen]

What kind of gearing are you running? Those climbs look killing! If it looks steep on GoPro we all know it's near vertical ;-)

[@bkxc]

32 tooth up front, 10 to 50 out back with Eagle. Tough stuff!

[@jamesjapson6115]

meeen! this one is tough as hell. but kinda cool too tho! awsome ride!

[@bkxc]

Yeah, great combination of pain & pleasure!

[@JC-zf6sx]

yeah! awesome riding. have you biked anywhere on the north island?

[@bkxc]

Not yet!

[@JC-zf6sx]

i was lucky enough to check out the trails at the redwood forest in rotorua. best 3 days of my life.

[@rebeticstone]

also one of the best probably

[@JB-wx3vj]

cool video if you dont mind me asking how much does a trip like that cost

[@bkxc]

Thanks man. Link is in the description!

[@dankswagbiking21]

I know you said you wanted to start doing more xc races this year, are you going to do the fontana winter series race this weekend by any chance?

[@bkxc]

Nope, won't be down there. Good luck if you're racing!

[@naza958]

Good job Brian 👌

[@bkxc]

Thanks man!

[@josemanuelaragonsolano7707]

Buena velocidad en las bajadas brother. Hay mucha diferencia con Fox factory?? Un saludo desde España bro👌🏽🇪🇸

[@bkxc]

Tuve el RockShox Pike y creo que el DVO es un poco mejor. ¡No soy un experto, sin embargo! Gracias hombre, España fue el mejor!

[@rgmtb]

Nice video man!

[@bkxc]

Thanks Gene!

[@underskinart6838]

and also when your bike gets real muddy. do you recommend hosing it down or just wiping

[@bkxc]

Hose down first to knock most of it off and then get to scrubbing

[@RyanMarcyesOutdoors]

Awesome!!!!

[@bkxc]

Thanks dude!