Velduro at Crankworx Rotorua 2026
When we set up at Crankworx Rotorua 2026, we had no idea how many people already knew us. Fifteen months into building the brand, over 200 Rogue emtb's on NZ trails, and this was the first time we'd shown up at something this size as an official partner.
Now in its twelfth year, Crankworx Rotorua pulled over 700 competitors and 10,000 spectators to Skyline Rotorua on the slopes of Mt Ngongotahā. Five days of world-class racing across downhill, slopestyle, pump track, dual slalom, and whip-off, with the best riders on the planet competing on home soil. Our roots and RnD are in Rotorua, so there was only one answer when the opportunity came up.
"When we were given the opportunity to become a partner with Crankworx under the incubator programme it was a no brainer," says Velduro co-founder Dan Wallace.
We had a prominent spot in the expo zone with branding across the race signage, trail markers, and the big screens throughout the week. Shoutouts went out to the Velduro crew across all five days. You could feel the energy from the moment the gates opened. Athletes and spectators were there to watch the best in the world go to work, and the buzz around the expo was hard to match.
Riders came through who already owned Rogues. Others had spotted the bikes on trails in their region and tracked us down. Young riders, professional riders, analogue riders who'd quietly made the switch. Some had been sitting on the fence for months, waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger. Our Chinese co-founder, Dick, flew in from China to see it firsthand, to meet the riders buying our product and get a real read on what the MTB community actually thinks of what we're building.
"It was humbling. Even though at this stage we are an e-bike brand, it resonated with riders who were traditionally analogue riders," Dan says.
One of the standout themes across the week was how many riders, both young and professional, are using the Rogue as a training tool. Ditching shuttles and using it as the ultimate downhill machine. That's not something we set out to market. It's just what riders figured out on their own.
The race highlight came in the Double Down, a NZ Enduro race running alongside the main Crankworx programme. Because it sits outside the official format, e-bikes were eligible to enter. We had two Rogues in the field. Dan, a Rogue owner who's been racing for 18 months, kept putting runs in and took gold. Brook McDonald has had Dan's personal Rogue for a few months now and wasn't showing signs of giving it back anytime soon. He was spread across other Crankworx commitments and only got two runs in. Still dropped two seconds off his previous time on another brand.
The Double Down is a pure gravity race, so the motor isn't engaged. The Rogue was just being ridden downhill fast. Both riders said the mid-pivot design and motor placement kept the rear end planted through everything, giving them the confidence to push harder than they expected. Brook was stoked with the result but honest about it. New track, limited practice, only two runs to work with. He'd have gone faster with more time on it. That's the kind of competitor you want on your bike.
We started Velduro 15 months ago as a collaboration between New Zealand and China. Rotorua is home. Our RnD happens here, our bikes get tested here before they go anywhere else in the world. What this week confirmed is something we've always believed.
"We are small enough and nimble enough to pivot and adapt to what riders are wanting," Dan says. "When riders give us feedback it is listened to and fed back to where it needs to go. That's what makes us different."
We'll be back at Crankworx. It's the best place we know to hear directly from riders, and for a brand built on that kind of feedback, there's nowhere more important to be.
As for the rest of 2026, there's plenty to look forward to. A new Avinox motor system drops in April, a new All Mountain model begins testing in New Zealand in the coming months, and we'll be at the Shanghai China Bike Expo in May. Watch this space!
