The Shop

Bike Culture—known as BC to regulars—is run by Rob Smail and Mike Metz. What makes it different? The workshop is the shop. Right as you walk in, you’ll see Rob and Mike working on bikes in an open-plan space, happy to help riders of all levels.

Instead of rows of off-the-rack bikes, BC focuses on custom builds tailored to each rider. They stock quality frames and select complete bikes, and can source others to suit your needs.

With decades of hands-on experience, Rob and Mike do all the servicing and builds themselves—no junior mechanics, just expert work from start to finish. They’re also specialists in suspension servicing and electronic bike tech.

Both are passionate riders who regularly test gear on trails and gravel, so their advice is based on real-world experience.

Mike

Mike’s passion for cycling started young, racing BMX at 13 before switching to mountain biking in 1994—winning his first race, the Bay Champs Downhill. He was hooked on the variety of terrain and the challenge of technical tracks.

Over the years, Mike has racked up national titles in Cross Country, Downhill, Dual Slalom, and Enduro, both in elite and age group categories. He also represented New Zealand at the Downhill World Champs.

These days, Mike is into checking out local back roads on his gravel bike, riding his trail bike for fun, and his XC bike when training for races . A ride from Rotorua to Auckland using trails and back roads might seem huge to most—but for Mike, it’s just a Monday. He’s still racing too—in recent years winning his age group and placing 5th overall at the Whaka Miler, and racing multi-day stage races like the Breck Epic in Colorado and the Volcanic Epic in NZ.

Mike has also guided MTB trips in Colorado and Utah with Singletrack Colorado. This season, he’s back in the U.S. working as a guide again.

He’s worked in bike shops since school and brings deep knowledge and hands-on experience to Bike Culture. For Mike, the shop isn’t just a job—it’s a reflection of his life on two wheels.

Mike on one of his trips as a guide with Singletrack Colorado - manualling through the petrified sand dunes of Moab’s slickrock trail.

Rob

Rob’s mountain bike journey began over 30 years ago in Auckland, riding a rigid Diamond Back Apex through Riverhead—well before bike parks or marked trails like Woodhill existed.

By the mid-90s he was working in bike shops, and in 2007 he opened Bike Culture with Mike Metz, focusing on expert-level servicing and doing things their way. Rob’s also had a big hand in Rotorua’s trail scene—helping build Hot X Buns, Hatu Patu, and Kung Fu Walrus, and putting in years of trail maintenance.

As Trail Manager for the Rotorua Mountain Bike Club, he played a major role in the city’s network development before helping establish the Rotorua Trails Trust. He also helped lead the build of the Dodzy Skills Park in honour of James ‘Dodzy’ Dodds.

Rob has ridden and raced all over New Zealand and the world - MTB, enduro, gravel, bikepacking, and cycle touring. These days, he’s more about long gravel missions and overnighters, but still mixes in local trail rides and races. A highlight in recent years: finishing near the front of the Whaka Miler—a brutal 160km singlespeed effort with 4,000m of climbing. On a singlespeed.

From 185km gravel road birthday rides to exploring remote loops through places like Coromandel or the Waikete Valley, Rob lives to ride. Local gems like the Western Okataina Walkway add to the appeal of gravel adventures right from the shop door. If he’s not out riding, he’s already planning the next one.