MTB: Lure of trails too much for top geezer

RETURN: James the top ``geezer'' Alexander overlooking Rotorua. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Mention the name James Alexander to local mountain bikers and they may scratch their heads.

Add, "you know, Geeza" and there'll often be a smile and a nod of recognition. James was born and raised in Dulwich in south London, the land of "diamond geezers" (or top blokes) and the reason for his nickname.

When he was 10 his family moved to Somerset - a sunny, country environment of thatched cottages, quaint narrow lanes, cheddar cheese and rough cider.

It is where he started mountain biking in 1988, buying a Raleigh Maverick with earnings from his paper round. His stomping ground was the Quantock Forest, north of Taunton and about 80km south of Bristol.

James travelled to New Zealand 19 years ago on a three-month cycling holiday. He never left. "The culture, hospitality and freedom I discovered here blew me away," he says.

"Experiencing the positive, Kiwi can-do attitude was an inspiration."

In Auckland, James worked in the cycle trade with Rob Smail, who moved to Rotorua in 2005 and set up Bike Culture with Mike Metz.

"Rob didn't stop talking about how good the trails were and this fuelled my curiosity," he continues. "I visited, realised Rob was right and moved to Rotorua in 2006."

That year was an important and exciting one for the city with the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships early in spring. One of James' heroes, Swiss cross-country star Thomas Frischknect, was here for the champs.

"I got to take Thomas for a ride in the Whirinaki Forest," James says. "He was in absolute awe of the beauty of the native forest and really impressed by the calibre of the Whakarewarewa trail network."

James and his partner, Paula, lived in Rotorua for a year before heading to Waipu in Northland. Seven years on, the lure of the forest and the mountain bike community has brought them back with their young son, Nico - and there'll be here for good.

James and Paula left a successful real estate career in Waipu, where the locals thought returning to Rotorua was "nuts". Paula grew up by the ocean with kai moana readily on tap and the move took them away from the coast. And the change resulted in a significant drop in income.

"However, we just couldn't get Rotorua out of our heads," says James. "Mountain biking was a huge part of our decision to uproot and move back. We are privileged to have such world-class trails on the doorstep."

For Paula and James, mountain biking brings all walks of life together.

"Lawyer, mechanic or rubbish collector - on the trails everyone is on the same page," he adds.

James and good friend Brad O'Malley, from Mountain Bike Rotorua, maintain the Exit Trail, which drops riders out of the forest at the northern trailhead on Long Mile Rd.

"It's rewarding to work in the trail and play a part in a rider's buzz," says James.

He's continued with real estate, working for Ray White Rotorua while Paula is his PA. James is an auctioneer and has volunteered his services to a couple of local charities. Paula is a volunteer at the Rotorua Museum.

"Whakarewarewa Forest gives us so much enjoyment," says James. "And we feel it's important and fulfilling to give something back."